Chemical composition and fatty acid profile of meat from heifers finished on pasture supplemented with feed additives

Resumo

Food additives were used to improve meat characteristics of Brangus heifers supplemented on pasture daily (0.32% LW). The treatments were: supplement (with no additives); calcareous seaweed flour (Lithothamnium calcareum) added to the supplement; vitamin E and organic selenium added to the supplement; protected fat added to the supplement; a subcutaneous application of vitamin D seven days before slaughter + supplement; and the association of vitamin E, organic selenium and protected fat added to the supplement + one subcutaneous dose of vitamin D seven days before slaughter. The animals were supplemented by 109.80±11,71 days and were slaughtered when they reached approximately 337.95±20,56kg of LW. The experimental design was completely randomized with six treatments and 25 repetitions. The Longissimus dorsi muscle’s chemical composition did not differ between treatments (P>0.05). The use of seaweed flour, vitamin D, protected fat and the association of additives has the potential to improve the concentration of some unsaturated fatty acids in the Brangus heifers’ meat (P˂0.05), but without improving the level of unsaturated fatty acids class. We conclude that the use of additives in heifers finished in the pasture/supplement system has no effect on the meat quality, but only, isolated outcomes, on the content of some fatty acids.