In some cases, beef undergoes a dual grading process: quality grades assess the meat’s tenderness, juiciness, and flavor, while yield grades estimate the proportion of boneless, retail cuts obtainable from the primary sections of beef—round, loin, rib, and chuck. While grading of beef meat is optional, it serves as the widely recognized standard for determining market value of beef. Its purpose is to categorize carcasses into consistent groups that share similar quality, yield, and market value, thereby streamlining marketing and production choices.

Beef meat quality is determined by genetic, nutritional, managerial, and beef processing factors. Each stage of production of beef, from breed selection to feeding practices for beef cattle, from slaughter techniques to post-slaughter handling, plays a crucial role in determining the final quality of the meat. Optimizing management can significantly enhance meat quality, ensuring a product that is tender, flavorful, and nutritionally valuable for consumers. The quality of beef meat is influenced by pre-slaughter, slaughter, and post-slaughter management practices. The pre-slaughter stage is addressed on this page.

Pre-slaughter factors such as animal stress, handling of beef cattle, transportation conditions, and feed management significantly impact beef meat quality.

Beef cattle breed:

Breed can influence marbling, tenderness, and overall meat quality of beef. Angus and Wagyu breeds for example are known for their marbled and tender meat.

Genetics of beef cattle:

Genetic selection for desirable traits such as muscle growth, fat deposition, and disease resistance can enhance meat quality of beef by improving tenderness, marbling, and flavor. Pure bred meat breeds will have higher muscle/offal ratio than crossbred or milk derived breeds.

Sex and castration:

Beef steers and female beef grow at a lower pace if compared with bulls, but will produce a better marbled meat, thus influencing tenderness and juiciness.

Ration of beef cattle

Compared to beef cattle in feedlots, grass-fed beef usually produce leaner meat with a distinct flavor profile and higher level of omega-3 fatty acids. Meat from grass-fed beef also showed a more favorable SFA lipid profile containing less cholesterol-raising fatty acids (C12:0 to C16:0)1.

Management and animal welfare:
Stress as a result of handling and housing can have an impact on meat quality of beef cattle2 (see Figure 1).

Long-term stress on beef cattle prior to slaughter will produce meats that are dark firm and dry (DFD). Long term-stress of beef cattle may be due to transportation, extreme climactic conditions, prolonged withholding of feed, mixing of animals from different sources in the holding pen, and extreme frightening and agitation of cattle. If beef cattle are stressed before slaughter, their glycogen reserves get depleted and as a result, lactate production that normally occurs after slaughter is limited, Production of lactic acid generally reduces the pH of the meat from 7.0 to 5.7. With less glycogen to convert to lactic acid, the pH will remain high (5.9-6.5). This results in DFD meat which has a lower pH, lighter color, reduced water binding capacity, and is possibly tougher3.

More acute stress, such as excitement or fighting immediately prior to slaughter, produces lactic acid from the breakdown of glycogen while the carcass is still warm. The high lactic acid content, denature the proteins in meat, making them to be less soluble. The protein loses capacity to hold and retain water. The meat gets a pale colour and is soft, this condition is called pale soft and exudative (PSE) meat. PSE causes a significant drip loss3.

Stress reduction and good welfare practices in beef cattle improve meat quality by reducing the likelihood of issues such as dark, firm, and dry (DFD) meat and pale, soft and exudative (PSE) meat.

Age and weight at slaughter of beef cattle:

The age and weight of cattle when they are slaughtered has an impact on meat quality of beef. Younger animals generally produce more tender meat, while older animals can have tougher meat. Specifically in bulls, age is linked to higher levels of testosterone, and this is linked to higher collagen deposit that will result in tougher meat of grazing beef cattle.

Beef cattle health:

Healthy beef cattle produce higher quality meat, free from disease-related defects. Health status of grazing beef cattle, including disease and parasite management are not only important for optimal performance but also has an impact on quality of beef meat. Grazing beef cattle can be finished on grass or on a grain based diet in feedlots. Generally speaking, it is more difficult to keep beef cattle healthy in feedlots compared to keeping beef cattle healthy while they are on pasture.

Nutrition of grazing beef cattle plays a crucial role in determining the quality of beef meat. The type and balance of nutrients provided to cattle throughout their lifecycle can significantly influence meat characteristics such as tenderness, marbling, flavor, and nutritional value. Here’s a detailed analysis of how different aspects of nutrition of pasture based cattle affect beef quality:

Grazing beef cattle can be finished on either pasture or grain-based diets, depending on the desired meat quality and production practices. Pasture-finished beef cattle are raised on grasses and forages until slaughter, resulting in leaner meat with a distinct flavor. Grain-finished beef cattle are transitioned to a high-energy grain diet in feedlots, which promotes marbling and a more traditional beef flavor. Both methods have their own benefits and influence the taste, texture, and nutritional profile of beef cattle meat.

Finishing beef cattle on a grass-fed diet:

If grazing beef cattle are primarily fed grass and forage at finishing, the meat will have a distinct, more intense flavor profile, often described as "earthy" or "grassy." The fat composition of meat from beef finished on grass and forage will be leaner with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), but lower in intramuscular fat (marbling). The meat tends to be darker and may have a more fibrous texture compared to grain-fed beef.

Finishing grass fed beef on a grain-fed diet: Beef cattle that are fed a diet rich in grains such as corn, barley, and soy will have meet with a milder and often sweeter flavor due to higher fat content. The higher in intramuscular fat (marbling) will enhance tenderness and juiciness. Meat from beef cattle finished on a grain fed diet is usually lighter in color and has a finer texture.

Protein supplements for grass fed beef cattle: Protein supplements for grass fed cattle enhance muscle growth and improve feed conversion efficiency of beef cattle. An increased muscle mass results in better meat yield and potentially improved tenderness.

Vitamin and mineral supplements:

Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, protecting muscle tissues from oxidative damage. By improves oxidative stability of beef, the shelf life can be extended and the meat will maintain color and flavor.

When considering vitamin E’s role in beef cattle nutrition, its antioxidant function is usually seen as the most important. Vitamin E also serves as a gene regulator and nothing can replace vitamin E in this role. But in preventing free-radical damage, other antioxidants can easily act as a vitamin E substitute. Selko AO Mix is a phytogenic product containing a mixture of polyphenols (see Figure 2 and Figure 3). In beef cattle, bioavailability is directly linked to the polyphenol’s susceptibility to fermentation in the rumen, the type of fermentation products produced, and the bioavailability of bypass or polyphenol fermentation products. For Selko AOmix for beef cattle, plant polyphenols were selected which are either rumen- bypass or which are fermented in the rumen into potent and bioavailable polyphenols. Costs of a ration for grass fed beef cattle can be reduced by partly replacing vitamin E in a supplement by Selko AO Mix.

Vitamin A is essential for health and immune function of beef cattle. Vitamin A in grass fed beef supplements supports healthy growth, contributing to higher quality meat.

Vitamin D is essential for calcium and phosphorus metabolism. It supports muscle and bone development in beef cattle, leading to better meat texture and tenderness.

Selenium and vitamin E both have an antioxidant effect in beef cattle. Selenium enhances oxidative stability, preventing rancidity and extending shelf life of beef.

Zinc is crucial for protein synthesis and immune function. In beef cattle it promotes healthy growth and muscle development, improving tenderness and juiciness.

A trial4 carried out in beef steers showed that bio-availability of the hydroxy form of zinc in Selko IntelliBond Z is higher compared to Zn sulphate, leading to a better zinc retention, a lower excretion of Zn in faeces (see Figure 4) and higher plasma zinc levels in beef steers (see Figure 5). A trial5 showed that including 100% of IntelliBond Z zinc hydroxy trace mineral in a diet for beef cattle tended to improve marbling score of beef.

Iron is vital for oxygen transport in the blood. Supplementing beef cattle with iron is important to maintain a bright red color, indicative of freshness and high quality of beef.

Probiotics for beef cattle
Prebiotics for beef cattle are live microorganisms that provide health benefits when administered in adequate amounts to beef cattle on pasture. Probiotics reduce rumen acidosis of beef cattle or improve nutrient absorption, resulting in an improvement of feed conversion efficiency of beef cattle. Growth improvement in beef cattle helps improving meat quality in terms of texture and flavor.

Prebiotics for beef cattle:

Prebiotics are non-digestible substrates that can be included in feed supplements for beef cattle. Prebiotics for beef cattle promote growth of beneficial gut bacteria that improve gut health. Prebiotics for beef cattle can improve growth an uniformity of a beef herd by optimizing feed efficiency, reducing feeding costs and enhancing meat quality.

Selko LactiBute is a prebiotic that has been tested both in dairy and beef cattle6,7,8. It has been shown to improve health and performance of beef cattle. Selko LactiBute contains rumen protected calcium gluconate which stimulates the growth of lactic acid utilizing bacteria that convert lactate inro butyrate. This reduces the pH in the hindgut, which reduces the risk of "leaky gut" and systemic inflammation. Less systemic inflammation means that the immune system will be less activated, leaving more energy available for growth. Selko LactiBute reduces faecal starch levels and faecal pH6, increases volatile fatty acid levels in the hindgut7 and increases average daily gain of beef cattle6,8 (see Figures 6a and 6b).

Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids have benefits for the consumers of beef. The meat of beef fed omega-3 fatty acids will have a higher omega-3 content, which is beneficial for consumer health. A higher level of omega-3 fatty acids will also improve meat tenderness and juiciness1.

Antioxidants
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is an anti-oxidant that is commonly used in beef to maintain meat colour by preventing oxidative damage to the meat.

Herbal extracts
Contain natural antioxidants which can improve the shelf life and flavor stability of beef.

During the weaning phase, beef cattle have to switch from a diet of maternal milk to a diet with solid feed. Proper weaning management of beef calves ensures that during this phase, stress levels are minimal ensuring healthy growth, which in term can improve meat quality.
During the final part of the finishing phase of beef cattle in grass based systems, it is not uncommon to switch to a grain-rich diet to enhance marbling. Such a grain-fed diet typically increases intramuscular fat, improving tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.

Quality of grass and forage, the use of feed supplements and feed additives for beef cattle and feeding techniques have a direct impact on growth performance but also on carcass quality. Essential vitamins and minerals, along with probiotics and prebiotics for beef cattle, support overall health and can improve specific quality attributes such as tenderness, marbling, flavor, color, and shelf life. By focusing on proper management and balanced supplementation, producers can ensure that the beef meets consumer expectations for taste, appearance, and health benefits, thereby delivering a superior product.