Comparative study reveals regenerative grazing enriches fatty acids and phytochemicals in Angus steers despite lower carcass yields, suggesting trade-offs between nutritional quality and growth.
Regenerative livestock grazing systems (RS), which employ rotational grazing and pasture-based finishing of plant-diverse forage, are promoted for ecological benefits, but their effects on beef composition remain under-characterized in temperate South America. This study compared animal performance, carcass traits, and the fatty acid and phytochemical profiles of longissimus dorsi muscle from Angus steers finished in either a Chilean RS (n = 9) or feedlot system (FS; n = 9). FS steers had greater average daily gain, carcass fatness, and cold carcass weight, whereas RS steers had higher ultimate muscle pH (all p < 0.05). Nutritionally, RS beef contained 5.3-fold more α-linolenic acid and a lower n − 6 ratio (both p < 0.001). RS beef also had greater phytochemical richness, including flavonoid glycosides, carboxylic acids, and total flavonoids (all p < 0.05). These findings suggest that regenerative finishing enhances beef nutritional and bioactive profiles but may reduce animal performance and carcass yield in this context.
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Arias et al. (2026) studied this question.
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