Evaluating the Efficacy of Tasco-14® Supplementation on Carcass and Performance Characteristics of Cattle Finished on Winter Annual Forages as a Sustainable Alternative finishing system in the Southeast

Forage finishing beef has emerged as a leading market niche for present day consumers and the process appeals to a number of specific consumer demands. Recent factors in the beef industry joined with traditional food safety concerns have prompted the typical beef consumer to examine a wide variety of aspects relating to the production and consumption of beef products. Results from our lab estimate approximately 30% of surveyed consumers in the southeastern U.S. (Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky) are willing to pay a premium for forage finished beef (unpublished data, Auburn University). The southeastern U.S. has a natural opportunity to utilize high quality forages in unconventional finishing systems as an alternative method of finishing cattle. Numerous live and postmortem factors can affect the quality, color and dietetic quality of beef, and finishing diet composition is one of the most important live production factors. Animals finished on forages traditionally have been found to be inferior to concentrate finished counterparts when evaluating various live and postmortem measures of animal performance and product palatability. Tasco, a proprietary product derived from the dried brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum has been shown in various instances to increase marbling score and certain measures of retail display shelf life. Therefore, we proposed a study in which animals were finished on winter annual ryegrass with/or without supplementation/Tasco treatment to evaluate the effects on animal performance, carcass characteristics, palatability attributes and retail display shelf life appearance. In general treatment finishing diet had little significant effect on the evaluated factors. Utilization of winter annual ryegrass as a finishing diet, in the current study produced animals with average performance and carcass measurements when compared to industry standards. Regardless, of supplementation treatment beef was found to be average to slightly above average for all evaluated sensory, shear and retail shelf-life parameters assessed.

Introduction

Most often cattle produced in the southeastern U.S. are destined for grain finishing facilities in the mid-western portion of the U.S. A majority of the cattle from the Southeast are finished, harvested, and marketed all in the Midwest which limits the marketing options of producers in the Southeast. Cattle from the Southeast are commonly marketed as feeder calves, which may actually change ownership several times before reaching their final destination to feedlots and feeding facilities in the Midwest. Continual transportation and environment changes can lead to animal health issues as well as decreased gain and feed efficiency. Some producer in the southeastern U.S. may choose to retain ownership of their cattle throughout the finishing phase in the Midwest. Nonetheless, increased transportation cost as well as increased rates of illness due to shipping may cause the producer to incur financial losses. However, the bulk of producers in the Southeast are compelled to market their cattle as feeder calves which limits their opportunity and role within the beef chain.

Much of the agricultural land utilized in the Southeast is highly suitable for production of quality forages. Furthermore, much of the agricultural land is in tillage or row crops and is under utilized in the winter months. A method of utilizing row crop lands during idle months as forage finishing systems may exist. These forage or grass systems may be utilized in finishing strategies as possible alternatives to traditional finishing on all concentrate diets. The opportunity to market cattle or beef from these systems may prove to open market segments and profits not currently recognized or available to producers in the Southeast.

The benefits of finishing beef cattle on forage have long been recognized as a cost effective alternative to finishing in confinement feeding facilities. The availability of feed grains for animal consumption in the Southeast is virtually non-existent; however, the opportunity to finish cattle on forage is a possibility. There has been an increased interest in establishing systems where animals are fed solely or partially on forage throughout growing and finishing. Some research has found forage with the addition of small amounts of concentrate the last 10-14 days before harvest to be an effective alternative to finishing cattle solely on a concentrate diet (Bidner et al., 1986). Furthermore, the addition of modest amounts of concentrate to a forage diet throughout the finishing period may also serve as a valuable finishing strategy (unpublished data, Auburn University). Forage finishing strategies could serve to open phases of the beef life cycle to producers in the Southeast that are not currently available.

Beef consumption has steadily risen to a plateau since its decline in the 1980’s and consumers have become more informed and demanding. The appearance of niche markets has become frequent and various consumer demands such as leaner beef are common (Mandell et al, 1997; Montgomery et al, 1982). Currently consumers are looking for a “natural”, healthier, and locally raised beef product. Grass or forage fed beef may have the opportunity to target those consumers within these identified markets.
The role forage finishing systems may play in the production of beef in the Southeast is of great importance to the sustainability and profitability of producers in the southeastern U.S. However, the effects of forage finishing on USDA quality grade and the time an animal must be on feed to achieve at least USDA Choice (Small marbling) could prove detrimental to forage finishing strategies. Data has shown that beef cattle fed all/or high-forage diets are less likely to grade USDA Choice and those that do grade USDA Choice require a longer finishing period when compared to cattle on all grain diets (McMillan et al, 1984). The economic importance of quality grade is well established. Research conducted by Savell et al. (1987) stated that packers, through signals they receive from purveyors and retailers, have demanded beef that grades at least USDA Choice; when it grades less, a substantial price discount usually has been paid. Most often carcasses from forage-fed cattle grade USDA Select (Slight Marbling) to USDA Standard (Traces marbling). Cattle finished on all/or high-forage diets have been found to achieve USDA Choice when finished for additional days when compared to cattle on all grain diets (Abdullah et al, 1979). Increased finishing times could increase inherent input cost as well as increase the grazing demand on available forage. Forage-fed carcasses discounted for undesirable quality grades coupled with increased days on feed could thwart some of the opportunities forage feeding systems would contribute to beef producers in the Southeast.

Additionally, the significance of quality grade and/or marbling as well as tenderness on overall beef palatability has been well documented by various researchers (Tatum et al, 1982; Kim & Lee, 2001; Platter et al, 2003). Platter et al. (2003) stated that consumer acceptance of steaks increases approximately 10% for each full marbling score increase between Slight to Slightly Abundant. In research conducted by Wheeler et al. (1999) USDA Choice steaks were found to be more tender than USDA Select steaks. Furthermore, Park et al. (2000) found that beef with high intramuscular fat have high juiciness, tenderness, and flavor scores when rated by consumers. A method to improve quality grade and decrease finishing times necessary to obtain at least USDA Choice would increase profitability and overall palatability of beef from forage finishing systems; thus, increasing the overall success, efficacy and sustainability of forage finishing systems in the Southeast.

Tasco-14® (Ascophyllum nodosum) supplementation.

Ascophyllun nodosum, is a brown seaweed that is primarily found in the coastal waters of the northern Atlantic Ocean. A dried meal of Acophyllum nodosum is obtained by solar drying the intact seaweed and grinding. Ascophyllum nodosum meal contains approximately 6.0% protein, 12.0% moisture, 22.0% ash, 52.0% carbohydrates and 6.0% crude fiber (Braden, 2003). Research conducted as early as 1950 as well as current data reported that animals fed seaweed have increased performance and immunity (Chapman, 1950; Saker, 2001). Allen et al. (2001) found that consuming Ascophyllun nodosum had effects on lipid metabolism by maintaining or increasing serum cholesterol levels in animals consuming treated endophyte infected fescue. Tasco, a proprietary extract (Acadian Seaplants Ltd., Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada) from the brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum, has also been shown to increase marbling and USDA quality grade in cattle (Allen et al, 2001). Additionally, Tasco-14®, a proprietary brown seaweed meal (Acadian Seaplants Ltd., Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada) has been found to increase marbling score and USDA quality grade in feedlot cattle when supplemented in two 14 day periods before slaughter (Braden et al., 2002). When Tasco-14® was supplemented researchers found that there were no biologically significant differences for all of the evaluated carcass yield characteristics with the exception of hot carcass weight. Researchers found that animals supplemented with Tasco-14® exhibited slightly smaller hot carcasses weights upon harvest when compared to the non-supplemented control animals when harvested at identical days on feed (Braden et al., 2002). It seems plausible that Tasco-14® supplementation may decrease the days of finishing necessary to obtain a minimum amount of marbling to grade at least USDA Choice. The supplementation of Ascophyllum nodosum in various proprietary forms has not been shown to negatively affect the sensory properties of meat from treated animals (Montgomery et al, 2001)