Genetics of meat quality traits in two tropically adapted genotypes of beef cattle: 1. Genetic parameters and correlations

Meat quality traits are instrumental in determining consumer satisfaction with beef meat products, and in defining the value of carcasses. Measurements of tenderness (as peak force: PF and compression: CMP), percent cooking loss (CLoss), meat color (ColL) and percent intramuscular fat (IMF) were recorded for meat samples from 2178 feedlot finished tropically adapted steers of two genotypes (Brahman: BRAH and Tropical Composite: TCOMP). Tenderness traits were moderately heritable in BRAH (PF = 0.33; CMP = 0.19) and TCOMP (PF = 0.32; CMP = 0.20). CLoss, ColL and IMF traits were more heritable in TCOMP (0.22, 0.42 and 0.60 respectively) than BRAH (0.09, 0.20 and 0.42 respectively). Genetic correlations between meat quality traits indicated that selection for individual traits would not negatively impact other meat quality measures. The genetic relationships between ColL and PF in BRAH, and between ColL and CMP, and IMF and CMP in TCOMP, suggest that opportunities may exist for indirect selection for tenderness in tropically adapted cattle.