Driving Beef Quality

It is an exciting time in the beef industry when it comes to the ever increasing genetic progress. And while predictions for traits such as carcass quality have improved, there's still potential for improvement, especially for the overall beef business.

Colorado State University meat scientist Dr. Keith Belk says the Angus breed has made great strides toward improving end-product merit.

Belk: "In some characteristics, we do really well at making genetic progress and others we don't do so well — marbling being one of them. I think that the only way that we have made progress on marbling as an industry is that we've turned cattle black. But moving forward, we need to do what Certified Angus Beef and other branded beef programs have done, and we need to extend that across the entire industry we are to remain competitive."

 

Belk also says, making industry-wide changes toward meat quality and marbling requires using innovative science and technology. His research looks beyond the animal and its genetics, to the surrounding environment and how microorganisms could potentially impact meat tenderness and flavor.

Belk: "I think the change you are going to see and the availability of genetic selection tools will be the same kind of change we saw when we went from not having computers to having computers. That is the type of change or transformation that is going to occur. I'm excited about it, but we have a lot to learn about it yet."