Open Access
The water footprint of Spanish Ternera de Navarra PGI beef: conventional versus novel feeding based on vegetable by-products from the local food industry
(Elsevier, 2024) González-Martínez, Pablo; Goenaga Uceda, Irantzu; León Ecay, Sara; Heras Rojo, Joana de las; Aldai Elkoro-Iribe, Noelia; Insausti Barrenetxea, Kizkitza; Martínez Aldaya, Maite; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD; Ciencias; Zientziak; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
CONTEXT: In recent years, livestock farming has been in the spotlight. Meat production is blamed for the pollution of aquifers and rivers, as well as for the large amount of water required to feed livestock. This has highlighted the need to find alternative feeding systems for cattle breeding able to reduce food/feed competition. OBJECTIVE: In this context, the present study compares the water footprint (WF) of conventionally fed beef versus beef fed with vegetable by-products from the local agri-food industry. METHODS: Twenty-four entire male young bulls were reared under the Ternera de Navarra Protected Geographic Identification (PGI) in the town of Azoz, in Navarra, Spain. Twelve calves were fattened on a diet based on vegetable by-products and fodder and grain to complement the ration (VBP diet) and the remaining animals were fattened with a traditional diet based on concentrate and straw (conventional or control diet). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Once the fattening was finished and animals were slaughtered, the results showed a larger green, blue and grey WF in terms of m3 per beef cattle for conventionally fed animals compared to those fed with VBP. However, when looking at the efficiency, the results were mixed. Conventionally fed cattle exhibited lower green and grey WFs but a higher blue WF compared to VBP-fed cattle, with values of 9955 l/kg, 1577 l/kg and 1731 l/kg versus 10,147 l/kg, 1457 l/kg and 1831 l/kg of carcass beef, respectively. SIGNIFICANCE: This means that a by-product-based calf diet can reduce blue water use. However, further research is needed on the indirect water pollution associated with animal-fed crop production.
Open Access
Free calcium concentration, calpain-2 activity, and final product tenderness of electrically stimulated beef
(Iowa State University Digital Press, 2020) Buseman, Brianna J.; Weber, Tanya M.; Nasados, James A.; Bass, Phillip D.; Van Buren, Jessie; Lancaster, Jessica M.; Smart, Jaxon H.; Doumit, Matthew E.; Murdoch, Gordon K.; Price, William J.; Insausti Barrenetxea, Kizkitza; Colle, Michael J.; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of timing of electrical stimulation on free calcium concentration, calpain-2 activity, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), and consumer sensory analysis. Twenty-three beef steers were harvested and stimulated (S) using extra-low voltage or not stimulated (NS), at exsanguination and/or 1 h postmortem, resulting in 4 different stimulation treatments: NS-NS, NS-S, S-NS, or S-S. Samples were removed from the longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) for free calcium and calpain-2 analysis on days 1, 4, and 14 postmortem. WBSF and sensory analysis steaks were removed on day 4 and frozen (4 d) or aged to 14 d postmortem. Data were analyzed using the mixed model or generalized linear mixed model procedure of SAS (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC), with significance determined at P < 0.05. There was a tendency for an aging-period-by-stimulation-treatment interaction for LL free calcium concentration (P = 0.05), and there was a significant difference between aging periods (P < 0.01). No difference was observed in free calcium concentration in the SM between stimulation treatments (P = 0.44); aging, however, significantly increased SM free calcium concentration (P < 0.01). Stimulation did not impact native calpain-2 activity in the LL (P = 0.71) or SM (P = 0.89). Stimulation treatment did not improve tenderness values for WBSF analysis for the LL (P = 0.69) or SM (P = 0.61) or consumer sensory analysis in the LL (P = 0.56) or SM (P = 0.36). A longer aging period tended to increase calpain-2 activity in the SM (P = 0.08), improve WBSF in the LL (P = 0.09), and significantly improve consumer tenderness scores in the SM (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the timing of electrical stimulation utilized in the current study tended to influence free calcium concentration in the LL but did not influence calpain-2 activity or beef tenderness. Aging, however, improved tenderness.
Open Access
Tenderness of PGI "Ternera de Navarra" beef samples determined by FTIR-MIR spectroscopy
(MDPI, 2022) Beriain Apesteguía, María José; Lozano Saiz, María; Echeverría Morrás, Jesús; Murillo Arbizu, María Teresa; Insausti Barrenetxea, Kizkitza; Beruete Díaz, Miguel; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren
Understanding meat quality attribute changes during ageing by using non-destructive techniques is an emergent pursuit in the agroindustry research field. Using beef certified samples from the protected geographical indication (PGI) “Ternera de Navarra”, the primary goal of this study was to use Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy on the middle infrared region (FTIR-MIR) as a tool for the examination of meat tenderness evolution throughout ageing. Samples of the longissimus dorsi muscle of twenty young bulls were aged for 4, 6, 11, or 18 days at 4 °C. Animal carcass classification and sample proximate analysis were performed to check sample homogeneity. Raw aged steaks were analyzed by FTIR-MIR spectroscopy (4000–400 cm−1) to record the vibrational spectrum. Texture profile analysis was performed using a multiple compression test (compression rates of 20%, 80%, and 100%). Compression values were found to decrease notably between the fourth and sixth day of ageing for the three compression rates studied. This tendency continued until the 18th day for C20. For C80 and C100, there was not a clear change in the 11th and 18th days of the study. Regarding FTIR-MIR as a prediction method, it achieved an R2 lower than 40%. Using principal component analysis (PCA) of the results, the whole spectrum fingerprint was used in the discrimination of the starting and final ageing days with correct maturing time classifications. Combining the PCA treatment together with the discriminant analysis of spectral data allowed us to differentiate the samples between the initial and the final ageing points, but it did not single out the intermediate points.
Open Access
Assessment of dry-aged beef from commercial aging locations across the United States
(Elsevier, 2022) Lancaster, Jessica M.; Smart, Jaxon H.; Van Buren, Jessie; Buseman, Brianna J.; Weber, Tanya M.; Insausti Barrenetxea, Kizkitza; Nasados, James A.; Glaze, Benton; Price, William J.; Colle, Michael J.; Bass, Phillip D.; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD
Modern dry-aging is a culinary-inspired practice that involves storing meat at refrigerated temperatures without protective packaging. The dry-aging process has been observed to create unique flavors. The objective of the current study was to survey commercial dry-aging facility environments and observe palatability differences related to consumer acceptance. Seventy-two bone-in beef strip loins (Institutional Meat Purchase Specification #175) were acquired. Strip loins were randomly assigned to each of ten commercial dry-aging facilities. Additionally, a set of strip loins were wet-aged at the University of Idaho meat laboratory. Strip loins were shipped overnight to respective aging locations and dry-aged for 45-days then returned overnight to the University of Idaho meat laboratory. Strip loins were fabricated into steaks, vacuum packaged, and then frozen until further analyzed. Commercial dry-aging facility cooler conditions were observed to be different (P < 0.01) for temperature (0.74–5.26 °C), percent relative humidity (64.87–99.21%), and wind speed (0.56–2.03 m/s). Intrinsic meat quality parameters including pH and water activity were not different (P > 0.05) among treatment-locations. Consumer taste panels indicated a difference (P < 0.01) in acceptability (6.27–7.24), tenderness (6.65–7.54), and flavor (5.58–6.79) based on aging treatment-location. Overall, the findings indicate that conditions within individual dry-aging facilities aid in producing unique dry-aged beef flavors.
Open Access
Influencia de la maduración y el tipo de cocinado en la valoración sensorial y el perfil de compuestos aromáticos del cruce industrial de raza Retinta
(Asociación Interprofesional para el Desarrollo Agrario, 2019) Panea Doblado, Begoña; Ripoll, Guillermo; Insausti Barrenetxea, Kizkitza; Beriain Apesteguía, María José; Sañudo Astiz, Carlos; Albertí, P.; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura
Se estudió el efecto del tiempo de maduración y tipo de cocinado sobre la valoración sensorial y el perfil de los compuestos aromáticos de la carne de animales de los cruces de toros de las razas Retinta, Limousine, Pirenaica y Asturiana de los Valles con vacas Retintas. Se utilizaron dos paneles, uno para el efecto de la maduración y otro para el tipo de cocinado. El entrenamiento de los catadores y la temperatura de cocinado fueron idénticos en ambos casos, aunque los perfiles difieren entre sí. En la valoración sensorial no se encontraron interacciones entre efectos. El cruce sólo afectó a la terneza, siendo la carne de Pirenaica x Retinta y Retinta x Retinta algo más dura. La terneza, el flavor a hígado y el flavor ácido aumentaron con la maduración, al contrario que la jugosidad. El tipo de cocinado afectó a la terneza y a la facilidad al tragar, estando ambas variables inversamente correlacionadas. Se identificaron 50 compuestos aromáticos. El cruce tuvo menos influencia que el tipo de cocinado y se encontró una interacción significativa entre efectos para 15 de los compuestos, especialmente hidrocarburos. El cruce afectó al porcentaje de alcoholes, compuestos azufrados y cetonas pero no al resto y el tipo de cocinado, a todos los compuestos. Los hidrocarburos y las cetonas presentaron mayores concentraciones que el resto. Para todos los grupos de compuestos excepto para los azufrados, las cantidades detectadas fueron mayores cuando el método de cocinado fue la cocción.