Beef tenderness is influenced by the activity of the calpain proteolytic system during postmortem aging. Calcium propionate increases blood calcium concentration enough to active these calcium-dependent proteases, and improve beef tenderness The objectives were to evaluate calcium propionate orally supply in quali-quantitative carcass characteristics of beef cattle. In this study, 24 steers (3/4 Simenthal+1/4Nellore) received 0 or 630 g calcium propionate orally, 12 hours before slaughter. After slaughter, tenderness (shear force), cooking losses (1, 8 and 15 days of aging time), sensory evaluation, muscle pH, Longissimus muscle area, fat thickness, carcass yield grade, blood plasma and muscular calcium determination from Longissimus dorsi muscle were evaluated. The results showed that calcium propionate treatment did not affect carcass characteristics, Longissimus dorsi muscle calcium concentration, shear force, cooking losses, and tenderness, flavor and overall sensory analysis. Calcium propionate increased calcium plasmatic concentration and improved sensorial juiciness.
beef cattle; calcium propionate; Longissimus dorsi; meat tenderness
