The influence of fattening by eco-feed based on okara on the growth, meat quality and histochemical properties of the longissimus thoracis muscle in japanese black cattle

The objective of this article is (1) to examine effects of eco-feed on histochemical properties in Longissimus thoracis muscle, (2) to identify the effectiveness of eco-feed utilization in composition of fattening concentrate and (3) to investigate quality of eco-feed beef taste. After 10 months reared, ten animals were divided into convention (steers, n=6) and eco-feed (steers, n=2; heifers, n=2) group, and fattened in similar feeding system based on numbers in each group. In eco-feed group, fattening concentrate was removed approximately 40 percent and replaced by eco-feed for slaughtered at age of 26 months and then all beef quality was evaluated. Samples from around 6 th thoracis in Longissimus muscle were performed in histochemical techniques. Quality of test was confirmed by the taste panel test from French and Italian restaurant in Fukuoka. The results showed that the body growth and quality of beef in both groups did not differ (P<0.05) in all categories. The composition of myofibre type I of steers (40%) in conventional group was larger than steers (25%) and heifers (29%) in eco-feed group (P<0.01). The size of myofibre type I had no significantly different for both steers and heifers between groups and the diameter type I, type IIA and type IB in convention group was almost the same size, while in eco-feed the size of myofibre type IIA and IIB were larger than those in convention (P<0.01) group. The taste of eco-feed beef was extremely impressed by beef steak consumers at high confirmation level. As a result, eco-feed had no negative effect on the animal growth and its beef taste. The quality of beef of eco-feed were almost the same with common fattened; histochemical properties confirmed a slightly better in eco-feed animals in terms of beef quality grades, scores and levels.