Two beef characteristics of major concern to the meats industry are lack of tenderness and too much fat. A recent report by the Joint Task Force on Beef (1968) entitled A National Program Of Research For Beef stated that the factors influencing palatability are complex, and research to date has identified less than 35% of the total variation that exists in such important attributes as tenderness, juiciness and flavor. The yield of lean cuts on a retail basis, or conversely the amount of waste fat, is the other major factor affecting the value of beef carcasses. Any symposium dealing with dairy beef and its role in total beef production and consumption should focus its attention on these important characteristics. Other considerations relative to dairy beef that have received attention include: (1) initial depth and brightness of color and its stability in the retail counter; (2) moisture binding ability of the lean and its relationship to seepage during prepackaged storage; (3) total lean and the proportional distribution of lean in the more desirable areas of the carcass; (4) genetic relationships between milk and meat production in the dairy breeds; (5) significance and application of the current U.S.D.A. quality standards to young dairy beef carcasses and cuts; and (6) economic aspects of merchandising dairy beef and its equitable pricing on a basis comparable to the quality and cutability of the products derived from present beef breeds.
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Ziegler et al. (1971) studied this question.