Qualità della carne derivata da tre differenti muscoli di vitelloni di razza Chianina alimentati con insilato di mais

Introduction: Actually, the productive rules of "Vitellone Bianco dell'Appennino Centrale" ban the use of maize silage in the four months before slaughtering due to the possible negative effects on meat quality, particularly on meat colour and water holding capacity. The studies on this argument are conflicting and conducted on foreign breed. So there is a lack on Chianina beef, one of the most diffuse breed for meat production in Italy, for this important topic. Aim: To compare the effect of maize silage or hay in diet during the last four month of fattening on some meat physicalchemical quality characteristics of Chianina beef. Materials and methods: 90 Chianina beef fed with hay (Group 1) or maize silage (Group 2) were slaughtered at an average age of 19 months. After the normal ageing for this meat, different for each muscles, samples of three different muscles (caput longum triceps brachii, longissimus dorsi and semimembranosus), were analysed in order to asses the main meat quality characteristics: pH, colour before and after 48h of storage to evaluate meat shelf-life, tenderness (expressed as shear force), water holding capacity (evaluated as drip loss, cooking loss and M/T), chemical composition (dry matter, crude protein, ether extract and ash). The variance analysis was used to assess statistical differences. Results and discussion: pH values were normal and similar between muscles and groups. The use of maize silage induced small variation, detectable only instrumentally, in meat colour (L*), drip loss and ether extract of longissimus dorsi and semimembranosus muscles. No differences are shown for the quality of caput longum triceps brachii. Nevertheless, the differences are very low and the final consumer doesn't note any variation. Conclusion: From the results of this study, it seems possible to use maize silage in Chianina diet even during the last four month of fattening, without any significant change in meat quality, when there is any economic advantage for breeders.