Prediction of beef carcass salable yield and trimmable fat using bioelectrical impedance analysis

• Published in: Meat science Vol. 84; no. 3; pp. 449 - 454
• Main Authors: Zollinger, B.L., Farrow, R.L., Lawrence, T.E., Latman, N.S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2010; [Amsterdam]: Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue; Animals; backfat; Beef; beef carcasses; bioelectrical impedance; Bioelectrical impedance analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight; Cadaver; carcass evaluation; carcass weight; carcass yield; Cattle; Composition; Dietary Fats - analysis; Electric Impedance; electrical resistance; Food industries; Food Industry - economics; Food Industry - methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heart; Kidney; longissimus dorsi; Meat - analysis; Meat - classification; Meat - standards; Meat and meat product industries; Meat Products; Muscle, Skeletal; Pelvis; Bioelectrical impedance analysis; Composition; Beef; Prediction; Fat; Meat product; Chemical composition; Yield
• ISSN: 0309-1740; 1873-4138
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2009.09.015

Bioelectrical impedance technology (BIA) is capable of providing an objective method of beef carcass yield estimation with the rapidity of yield grading. Electrical resistance (Rs), reactance (Xc), impedance (I), hot carcass weight (HCW), fat thickness between the 12th and 13th ribs (FT), estimated percentage kidney, pelvic, and heart fat (KPH%), longissimus muscle area (LMA), length between electrodes (LGE) as well as three derived carcass values that included electrical volume (EVOL), reactive density (XcD), and resistive density (RsD) were determined for the carcasses of 41 commercially fed cattle. Carcasses were subsequently fabricated into salable beef products reflective of industry standards. Equations were developed to predict percentage salable carcass yield (SY%) and percentage trimmable fat (FT%). Resulting equations accounted for 81% and 84% of variation in SY% and FT%, respectively. These results indicate that BIA technology is an accurate predictor of beef carcass composition.