Carcass boneless yield of Braford steers, classified according to fat coverage class

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate total and individual meat yield of boneless cuts, retail cuts, descarded trimmings and carcass bones of 38 Braford castrated steers, slaughtered at 22 months of age after feedlot finishing. Carcasses were classified in three ranks according to fat coverage: even fat coverage over the carcass, with fat thickness of approximately 6-8 mm on the 12th rib; animals with uneven fat cover, with fat thickness of 3-5 mm and steers with insufficient fat coverage over the carcass, with fat thickness of 1-2 mm. Shrinkage losses decreased as fat coverage increased, and it was 2.57, 2.22, and 1.96%, respectively, for insufficient, uneven, and even fat coverage whereas flank yield increased, reaching values of 13.04, 13.47 and 14.36%. Boneless yield was the highest in carcasses with insufficient fat coverage (78.70%) when compared to even fat coverage (77.62%), which is a result of the lowest trimming percentage, which increased according to coverage fat (4.40; 5.14 and 6.01%, respectively for carcass with insufficient fat coverage, uneven fat coverage and even fat coverage). Back rib and short rib yields were the greatest in carcasses with the largest fat thickness, whereas percentage of silverside and topside were the greatest in carcass with insufficient fat coverage compared to the ones with even fat coverage. Braford castrated steers can be slaughtered with the smallest fat coverage because the low fat coverage does not affect negatively yield of secondary cuts. Increase in coverage fat reduces shrinkage losses mainly in cuts submitted to little fat trimming

Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar os rendimentos cárneos total e individual de cortes desossados, retalho comestível, retalho descartado e ossos de carcaças de 38 novilhos Braford castrados abatidos com 22 meses de idade após terminação em confinamento. As carcaças foram classificadas em três categorias, de acordo com cobertura de gordura: uniforme sobre toda a carcaça, com espessura de gordura de aproximadamente 6-8 mm sobre a 12a costela; desuniforme, com espessura de gordura de 3-5 mm; e escassa, com espessura de gordura de 1-2 mm. A quebra durante o resfriamento diminuiu com o aumento da gordura de cobertura e foi de 2,57; 2,22 e 1,96%, respectivamente, para as carcaças de cobertura escassa, desuniforme e uniforme, ao passo que o rendimento de ponta-de-agulha aumentou, atingindo valores de 13,04; 13,47 e 14,36%. Os rendimentos de desossa foram maiores nas carcaças de cobertura escassa (78,70%) em relação às de cobertura uniforme (77,62%), e isso é resultado do menor percentual de retalhos descartados, que aumentou de acordo com a gordura de cobertura (4,40; 5,14; e 6,01%, respectivamente para as carcaças de cobertura escassa, desuniforme e uniforme). Os rendimentos de costela-janela e de costela-primeiro-corte foram maiores nas carcaças com maior espessura de gordura, enquanto os percentuais de coxão de fora e de coxão de dentro foram maiores nas carcaças de cobertura escassa em relação às de cobertura uniforme. Novilhos castrados Braford podem ser abatidos com menor cobertura de gordura, pois a baixa cobertura de gordura não prejudica o rendimento de cortes secundários. O aumento de gordura de cobertura diminui as perdas durante o resfriamento, principalmente em cortes com pequenas aparas