Chemical composition, vitamin E content, lipid oxidation, colour and cooking losses in meat from Tudanca bulls finished on semi-extensive or intensive systems and slaughtered at 12 or 14 months.

The effects of production system (SE: pasture based vs. IN: concentrate based) and slaughter age (12 vs. 14 months) on chemical composition, vitamin E and myoglobin contents, lipid oxidation at 0, 3 and 6 days of display, colour and cooking losses at 2 and 7 days postmortem from thirty-three Tudanca calves were studied. SE animals showed lower IMF and greater vitamin E contents (1.2 vs. 2.9% and 4.1 vs. 1.8 μg/g, respectively). Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) increased (p ≤ 0.001) with display time and was greater in the IN system. After 6 days display, IN animals presented twofold TBARS values (1.4 vs. 0.8 mg malonaldehyde/kg meat). At 7 days postmortem, SE groups presented greater (p ≤ 0.05) L* and lower (p ≤ 0.05) b* and H° than IN groups. Myoglobin increased with age (3.4 to 3.9 mg/g meat), but differences (p ≤ 0.05) on a* and C* values were observed only between 12 and 14 months at 2 days postmortem.