Benchmarking sensory off-flavor score, off-flavor descriptor and fatty acid profiles for muscles from commercially available beef and dairy cull cow carcasses

The first objective of this research was to benchmark off-flavors from 9 muscles and fatty acid profiles from the longissimus muscle from commercially identified fed and non-fed cull beef and dairy cows and A-maturity, USDA Select steers (n=15 each). The second objective of this study was to determine the relationship between fatty acids and off-flavor score in the longissimus muscle. There was a trend (P=0.06) for a muscle by carcass group interaction for sensory off-flavor detection. Muscles from non-fed beef cows had the greatest incidence of off-flavor detection while muscles from A-maturity, Select steers had the lowest incidence of off-flavors. No relationship (P > 0.10, R2 < 0.08) was found to exist between the fatty acid profile of the longissimus muscle and sensory off-flavor detection. Commercially identifying cull cows as fed or non-fed prior to harvest may be a beneficial method to reduce off-flavors in muscles that may be used beyond ground products.