Effects of dietary supplementation with mineral/vitamin mix on beef meat colour and oxidation parameters

Abstract

Meat colour and oxidation parameters were investigated on Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle from Charolais young bulls fed with the same ration, based on mineral/vitamin mix supplementation, before slaughtering, for either 30 days (Mvit30) or 60 days (Mvit60). LT muscle was aged for 3, 7, 14 days. Different mineral/vitamin mix times supplementation had a significant influence on meat colour stability at the three different ageing times. Significant differences were found on Lightness value and Hue angle value. Oxidation parameters confirmed meat colour data. In fact, at 14 d ageing time, LT muscle, obtained from animals belong to the Mvit60 group, showed both Metamyoglobin percentage and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values lower than the others. Results point out that supplementation with mineral/vitamin mix before slaughtering increases meat colour stability and reduces oxidative processes which are the basis for degradative processes.