Progress 07/01/06 to 06/30/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Percent intramuscular fat and individual fatty acids were measured in the longissimus muscle from the 13th rib region. The steak and muscle samples were collected 2 days postmortem and vacuum packaged from 46 animals (34 sired by Wagyu and 12 by Angus). Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were synthesized by H2SO4 catalysis. The fatty acids are expressed as a percent of the total fatty acids measured. Percent intramuscular fat in the longissimus ranged from 2 to 18%. There was a curvilinear and significant relationship between the percent intramuscular fat and n-3, n-6, n-6:3 ratio and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). A ten member taste panel detected flavor differences in the omega-3 fatty acid levels but not the CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). The panel also detected significant negative flavor differences with n-6:3 ratio and PUFA. The panel did not detect significant differences for off-flavor in the n-3, CLA and PUFA levels or n-6:3 ratio. There was a positive and significant relationship between percent intramuscular fat and initial and sustained tenderness as assessed by the taste panel. Two papers were included in the Proceedings of the Cattlemen's Update which was distributed to most Nevada ranchers. A poster was presented at the Main Station Field Laboratory field day. I gave an invited paper at the California Niche Meat Marketing Conference aimed at the smaller processors and locker plants. A poster was presented at the Reciprocal Meat Conference at the University of Florida and another will be presented this summer at the joint USA-Canada American Society of Animal Science meeting in Montreal, Canada. A poster and proceedings paper were presented at the ICOMST (International Congress of Meat Science & Technology) meeting in Cape Town, South Africa. Two papers are in review for the international journal, Meat Science. Personnel on the project were responsible for collecting and analyzing carcass data at URL:http://agri.state.nv.us/NJLS/2008_Beef_Carcass.pdf http://agri.state.nv.us/NJLS/2008_Lamb_Carcass.pdf http://agri.state.nv.us/NJLS/2008_Swine_Carcass.pdf http://agri.state.nv.us/NJLS/2008_GOAT_CARCASS.pdf. Applied information was presented and distributed mainly through the Proceedings of the Cattlemen's Update to Nevada ranchers. More basic information was presented at the ICOMST meetings which is a mix of researchers, industry and government policy makers. PARTICIPANTS: The primary personnel were from the Agricultural Experiment Stations of the University of Nevada, Reno and Washington State University, Pullman. A major hotel-casino cooperated by featuring beef from the project in their high-end restaurant. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audiences were consumers, cattle industry, youth groups, and researchers in food science. It was accomplished in the following ways. Two papers were included in the Proceedings of the Cattlemen's Update which was distributed to most Nevada ranchers. A poster was presented at the Main Station Field Laboratory field day. I gave an invited paper at the California Niche Meat Marketing Conference aimed at the smaller processors and locker plants. A poster was presented at the Reciprocal Meat Conference at the University of Florida and another will be presented this summer at the joint USA-Canada American Society of Animal Science meeting in Montreal, Canada. A poster and proceedings paper were presented at the ICOMST (International Congress of Meat Science & Technology) meeting in Cape Town, South Africa. Two papers are in review for the international journal, Meat Science. Personnel on the project were responsible for collecting and analyzing carcass data at URL:http://agri.state.nv.us/NJLS/2008_Beef_Carcass.pdf http://agri.state.nv.us/NJLS/2008_Lamb_Carcass.pdf http://agri.state.nv.us/NJLS/2008_Swine_Carcass.pdf http://agri.state.nv.us/NJLS/2008_GOAT_CARCASS.pdf. Applied information was presented and distributed mainly through the Proceedings of the Cattlemen's Update to Nevada ranchers. More basic information was presented at the ICOMST meetings which is a mix of researchers, industry and government policy makers. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Animal fat's image has suffered because of its dense caloric content contribution to the human diet. However, beef fat may impact the diet in a positive way depending on the composition of the lipids. Because beef also contributes certain monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids which may be beneficial to the human diet, there is a need to know how muscle composition affects the proportion of certain fatty acids such as omega-3 and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). Percent intramuscular fat in the longissimus muscle ranged from 2 to 18%. Both panel sustained tenderness and flavor scores increased from 2 to 10% intramuscular fat in a curvilinear fashion. Omega-3, omega-6:3 ratios and PUFA decreased with increasing levels of intramuscular fat. CLA decreased with increasing percent intramuscular fat possibly due to the fact the animals were in a feedlot with no access to fresh green forage. Increasing levels of omega-3 and PUFA are associated with decreasing panel flavor scores. Omega-3 and PUFA are negatively associated with increasing intramuscular fat. However, increasing CLA and MUFA are positively associated with increasing intramuscular fat. No off-flavor problems were associated with omega-3 and CLA. The Wagyu steaks, roast and ground beef were featured at a major hotel-casino steakhouse. The promotion worked great and was well received by the restaurant management. Due to unsettling foreign trade issues, Kobe-style beef has made inroads into the high-end restaurant business in northern and especially southern Nevada.

Publications

• Casey, Susan, Butler, Bob, and Ringkob, Tom. 2006. Carcass value returns from cull cows for the Hispanic and other niche markets. Proc. Cattlemen's Update. pp. 99-101. Univ. of Nevada-Reno. http://www.cabnr.unr.edu/AB/Resources/Nevada_Cattlemen/Cattlemens_Upd ate_2006.pdf
• Ringkob, T. P. 2006. High Sierra forage fed beef. Proc. Niche Meat Conference, Univ. of California-Davis.
• Santistevan, Brian, Butler, Bob, and Ringkob, Tom. 2006. Nutritional attributes of grass-fed beef. Field Day Poster MSFL Univ. of Nevada-Reno.
• Ringkob, T. P., Santistevan, B. R., Joos, D., Casey, S. C., Busboom, J. R., Jiang, T., Nelson, M. L., and O'Fallon, J. V. 2008. Influence of percent intramuscular fat on individual fatty acids in the longissimus muscle from Wagyu crossbred beef. 54th International Congress of Meat Science & Technology, Cape Town, South Africa. p. 76. (Abstr.).
• Ringkob, T. P., Santistevan, B. R., Joos, D., Casey, S. C., Busboom, J. R., Jiang, T., Nelson, M. L., O'Fallon, J. V., and C. T. Gaskins. 2008. Influence of percent intramuscular fat on individual fatty acids in the longissimus muscle from Wagyu crossbred beef. Proceedings of 54th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, Cape Town, South Africa. Session 2B: 32. http://www.icomst.helsinki.fi/icomst2008/Paper%20CD/General%20speaker s+posters-3p%20papers/Session2/2B/2B.32.Ringkob.pdf
• Ringkob, T. P., Santistevan, B. R., Joos, D., Casey, S. C., Busboom, J. R., Jiang, T., Nelson, M. L., O'Fallon, J. V., and C. T. Gaskins. 2009. Influence of percent intramuscular fat on individual fatty acids in the longissimus muscle from Wagyu crossbred beef. Proc. Cattlemen's Update. pp. 26-28. Univ. of Nevada-Reno. http://www.cabnr.unr.edu/AB/Resources/Nevada_Cattlemen/Cattlemens_Upd ate_2009.pdf
• Jiang, T., Busboom, J. R., Nelson, M. L., O'Fallon, J., Joos, D., and Ringkob, T. P., Effect of sampling fat location within beef steaks on fatty acid composition. 2008. AMSA 2008 RMC Abstracts: p. 51. http://www.meatscience.org/Pubs/rmcarchv/2008/AMSA%202008%20RMC%20Abs tracts.pdf
• Casey, Susan C. 2009. Product Development and Marketing of Cull Cows. M.S. Thesis. University of Nevada, Reno.
• Jiang, T., Busboom, J. R., Nelson, M. L., O'Fallon, J., Ringkob, T. P., Joos, D., Rogers-Klette, K. R., and Piper, K. The influence of forage diets and aging on beef palatability. 2009. J. Anim. Sci. Vol. 87, E-Suppl. 1: abstract.
• Jiang, T., Busboom, J. R., Nelson, M. L., O'Fallon, J., Ringkob, T. P., and Joos, D. 2009.Effect of sampling fat location and cooking on fatty acid composition of beef steaks. Meat Science (in review).
• Jiang, T., Busboom, J. R., Nelson, M. L., O'Fallon, J., Ringkob, T. P., Joos, D., Rogers-Klette, K. R., and Piper, K. 2009. The influence of diet and aging on beef palatability. Meat Science (in review).

Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: The cattle groups, high concentrate (ca 70%), low concentrate (ca 30%) and grass finished, have been harvested. The genetic (Wagyu and Angus crosses) and nutritional regimes produced a wide range in intramuscular fat (IM) of 1-19%. Additional analysis, done on fatty acid profiles which were sampled from the loin eye (longissimus lumborum), has been completed on the high concentrate group and the grass finished group. Plotting and statistical analysis revealed a curvilinear relationship between IM and omega-3 as well as omega-6 fatty acids. There is a similar curvilinear between IM and poly unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). That is that the high fatty acid (omega-3 & 6) and PUFA percent is associated with lowest IM% whereas high IM% are associated with much lower omega-3 & 6% and PUFA. Both the monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids increase with increasing IM%. Events: An invited presentation was made at the Niche Meat Marketing Conference in California. Questions during and after the presentation are a part of producers evaluating and contemplating changes toward a more sustainable agriculture. Services: I furnish expertise to the youth events (Nevada Junior Livestock Show) to make the events more educational which includes a carcass evaluation and collection of carcass data to be distributed to all participants. Products: The beef industry is realizing that they must retool to a more moderate size animal that is better able to utilize grass more extensively to produce a finished product. Dissemination: I have given 4 PowerPoint presentations to the Nevada and California Niche Meat Marketing conferences over the last 3 years. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals Tom Ringkob: Tom was the PI for the project. Brian Santistevan: Brian was the graduate student who collected the primary data and is using the study for his thesis to earn his MS degree. Dwight Joos: Dwight was responsible animal procurement and animal care. Bob Butler: Bob was responsible for carcass harvest under USDA inspection. Partner Organizations Washington State University: WSU is running the taste panels. Training or professional development: Numerous undergraduate students assisted with carcass data collection. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target Audiences: The primary target audiences are the small farmer/rancher and the backyard hobby producer. Efforts: My primary efforts include the Niche Meat Marketing conferences in Nevada and California. I have also spent considerable time with 4-H and FFA youth groups assisting with carcass evaluation and other educational events.

Impacts
Knowledge: The curvilinear relationship is quite interesting in that desirable high percent omega-3 and PUFA is associated with low IM which is a proxy for marbling. That is, low marbling scores produce lower grades and are avoided by the white tablecloth restaurants. Actions: However, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA%) and omega 6:3 ratio increases with increasing IM%. Wagyu with the propensity to marble may offer the potential to produce a high grading carcass with some desirable fatty acid characteristics. Conditions: Corn prices have increased from the $2-3 range to $5 / bushel due to the ethanol industry. This will force drastic changes in the beef industry. My interaction with the High Sierra Beef group and their forage-fed beef has led to some interesting discussions. There is a realization that the beef industry must change to a smaller animal that finishes on grass. This is the model that was used in England for millennia. They used to be called "easy keepers" and got much too fat when the USA had a surplus of cheap corn.

Publications

• Ringkob, T. P and Grace Waymire. 2007. Opportunities in Pet Food. Proc. Niche Meat Conference, Univ of California-Davis.

Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06

Outputs
The cattle groups, high concentrate (ca 70%), low concentrate (ca 30%) and grass finished, have been harvested. Fatty acid profiles, measured on the loin eye (longissimus lumborum), have been completed on the high concentrate group and the grass finished group. Fatty acid profile results should be available soon on the low concentrate group. The Wagyu high concentrate group had only about 20% of the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content when compared to a preliminary group of forage finished beef (0.20% vs. 1.02%). However, the high concentrate Wagyu group had over 4 times the omega-3 fatty acid content of another cohort grain fed group (1.60% vs. o.36%). The omega-6 fatty acids were the highest (4.27%) for the high concentrate Wagyu group which computed to a favorable omega 6:3 ratio of 2.61. The high concentrate Wagyu group had the highest amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (5.9%) and therefore lowest (48.6%) saturated fatty acids.

Impacts
The genetic component may prove to be quite interesting as there is substantial variation in the CLA content (0 to 0.75%) in the Wagyu high concentrate group. A grass finished group was even higher at 1.02% CLA. There is considerable variation in both the omega-3 and the omega-6 fatty acid content so that there is a range in the omega-6:3 ratio from a very favorable 1.83 to a much less favorable 15.15. This is a preliminary analysis on part of the total group being studied.

Publications

• Ringkob, T. P. 2006. High Sierra forage fed beef. Proc. Niche Meat Conference, Univ of Califonia-Davis.
• Casey, Susan, Bob Butler and Tom Ringkob. 2006. Carcass value returns from cull cows for the Hispanic and other niche markets. Proc. Cattlemen's Update. pp. 99-101. Univ. of Nevada-Reno.
• Brian Santistevan, Bob Butler and Tom Ringkob, 2006. Nutritional attributes of grass-fed beef. Field Day Poster MSFL Univ. of Nevada-Reno.