FATTENING PRACTICE, INSTRUMENTAL TENDERNESS AND WATER HOLDING CAPACITY OF BEEF SUPPLIED TO ABATTOIRS IN SOURHERN ETHIOPOIA

Abstract

This study assessed the fattening practice, instrumental tenderness and water holding capacity of beef supplied to abattoirs in Southern Ethiopia. The study had two components: survey and lab experiment. The survey study was conducted at Hawassa city (Tula), Wolayita zone (Dimtu) in SNNPRG and Arsi Negelle in Oromia region. The locations were purposively selected because they were the main suppliers of beef cattle to Hawassa City. The key informants were selected based on the information of their fattening experiences. Therefore, 45 traditional fatteners at farmer level, 30 fatteners in sub-urban areas were interviewed. 30 consumers were interviewed in Hawassa city concerning their preference of beef in relation to the origins of the cattle. The results showed thatthe 95.1%, of the respondent farmers used their oxen to plough their farm lands and either fattened or sold the old aged oxen.The farmers trekked their animals to the local market places and the average distance was 13.23 ±2.748Km. Using oxen for draught power, selling the animals at old age and trekking the animals long distance to market areas were the identified practices which adversely affect the beef quality.36.7% of the consumers preferred beef of the animals from Arsi Negelle, 26.7% from Hawassa, 26.7% from Wolayita and 10% from other locations. 90% of the consumers’ preferred the beef mainly based on good tenderness and only 10% of the consumers preferred by the presence of white fat layer.The Lab analysis was conducted to assess the instrumental beef tenderness (WBSF) and beef cooking loss of the beef slaughtered at Hawassa City abattoir. 227 beef samples were collected from randomly selected cattle in two different seasons: dry season (December, January and February) and wet season (March, April and May). The beef samples were taken from Longissimus muscle (longissimus dorsy), aged at -4 0C for 14 days and analyzed by WBSF instrument according WBSF-Ethiopian protocol procedure at Hawassa. The CL was obtained by calculating the percentage of the weight difference of the beef samples weighed before and after cooking in the laboratory. The results showed that the overall WBSF value and the CL of the beef were 3.9±0.1kgf and 25.42±0.54 (%), respectively. The WBSF value of the beef in wet season and dry season were4.16±0.15 & 3.69±0.16 Kgf,respectively. The difference of beef tenderness between wet and dry season was significant at p≤0.05. CL was 23.49±0.84% at dry season and 27.08±0.66% at wet season. The CL percentage was higher at wet season than the dry season, and the difference was significant at p≤0.05. The WBSF was 3.97± 0.15, 3.70±0.22 and 4.03±0.28 in Hawassa, Wolayita and Arsi Negelle locations respectively. The CL was 26.12± 0.84, 23.81± 0.92 and 25.20± 1.14 in Hawassa, Wolayita and Arsi Negelle locations respectively. Both WBSF and CL were not significantly different between the locations.Therefore, the WBSF value of the beef in wet and dryseason can be graded as intermediate and tender beef respectively.The overall WBSF value can be graded as Tender beef. In order to produce more tender beef younger animals which were not used for traction power should be provided to the beef market and trekking theanimals long distance before slaughter should be minimized to minimize the stress.