Effects of high-oil corn on feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, fatty acid profiles, beef palatability, and retail case life traits of beef top loin steaks

Our objective was to compare the effects of feeding steam-flaked, high-oil corn with normal steam-flaked corn to which yellow grease was added to equalize dietary fat on performance and carcass characteristics of finishing beef steers, and palatability, retail case life, and fatty acid composition of strip loins. Angus steers (n = 120; initial BW = 288 kg) were allotted to dietary treatments consisting of 1) normal mill-run, steam-flaked corn plus added fat (NMR) or 2) high-oil, steam-flaked corn (HOC) and assigned randomly to pens (12 pens/treatment with 5 steers/pen). Performance (ADG, DMI, and G:F) was measured over time, and cattle were shipped to a commercial abattoir for collection of carcass data after 165 d on feed. Carcass data were collected at 48 h postmortem on all carcasses, and 2 carcasses from each pen were selected randomly for collection of strip loins (IMPS #180A). At 14 d postmortem, 4 steaks (2.54 cm thick) were removed for retail display, trained sensory panel analysis, Warner-Bratzler shear force determination, and fatty acid analysis. Daily BW gain was greater (P = 0.03) and G:F was increased 8.4% (P = 0.01) for steers fed NMR compared with HOC, but DMI was not affected (P > 0.10) by treatment. No treatment differences were observed (P > 0.10) for HCW, 12th-rib fat, KPH, and yield grade. Marbling scores were greater (P = 0.01) for NMR than for HOC, and LM area tended (P = 0.07) to be greater in NMR than in HOC carcasses. The proportion of carcasses grading USDA Choice did not differ (P = 0.77) between treatments, but a greater (P = 0.04) proportion of carcasses graded in the upper two-thirds of Choice for NMR vs. HOC. Trained sensory panel traits and Warner-Bratzler shear force values did not differ between treatments (P > 0.10), and no differences (P > 0.10) were detected for purge loss or fatty acid composition. Overall, ADG and G:F were less and marbling score was decreased, but there were no differences between treatments in beef palatability, retail case life, or concentrations of fatty acids in strip loins.