Sensory and texture profile analysis of meat from heifers and bulls of different breeds reared in plateau conditions

This experiment aimed to determine the effects of breed and sex on the sensory and instrumental characteristics of meat from heifers and bulls reared in plateau conditions. The groups consisted of 36 animals: Brown Swiss × Eastern Anatolian Red (BSEAR), Holstein Friesian × Eastern Anatolian Red (HFEAR), and Brown Swiss × Holstein Friesian (BSHF). Sensory scores differed significantly among breeds ( P < 0.01), with BSHF receiving the highest tenderness score (6.51 ± 0.194). The sensory analysis values determined for males were higher than those of samples belonging to females ( P < 0.01). Adhesiveness was significantly higher in HFEAR samples compared to the other groups (−0.018 ± 0.010, P < 0.05). Cohesiveness was significantly higher in BSEAR and BSHF (0.609, 0.616 ± 0.021 respectively, P < 0.05). Hardness, chewiness, and gumminess were significantly higher in females ( P < 0.01). There was no significant correlation between Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) and sensory parameters. The distribution of cumulative variance in Principal Componenet Analysis (PCA) showed extensive variation for breed and sex. In conclusion, this study provides insights that could be valuable for producing high-quality meat under plateau conditions.