Effect of breed and ageing time on meat quality and sensory attributes of veal calves of the “Ternera de Aliste” Quality Label

The effect of breed, sex and ageing time on carcass, meat and eating quality were examined in 32 calves of the “Ternera de Aliste” Spanish Quality Label. Swiss Brown × Alistano-Sanabresa heifers were mated with Charolais or Limousin bulls in order to study the effect of breed. Bull and heifer calves were slaughtered when they were 6–7 months old. Samples of the M. longissimus dorsi were aged for 3, 5 or 7 days and chemical and sensory analyses were done. The results showed no differences due to sex but Charolais sires produced meat which was more tender, juicier and had more odour intensity with a darker colour than meat of the Limousin sired animals. Ageing influenced both sensory and instrumental hardness, colour and odour intensity. After seven days of maturation the meat from such young animals achieved a high quality.