Impact of Genetic and Postmortem Mechanisms on Beef Colour Parameters

This paper is a review of current knowledge about environmental and genetic effects on beef colour. In order for beef production industries to consistently produce preferred meat with respect to colour parameters, there must be an understanding of the mechanisms through environmental factors, as well as the contribution of genetics. Thus, a brief overview of beef colour is presented to understand how genotype and environment may interact to influence this trait. Essentially, colour of beef can have significant effects on consumer’s choice and thus it can determine the economical value of the product. The current methods for evaluating meat colour, the influence of postmortem process and environmental factors, as well as the candidate genes including LEP, CAPN, CAST, AKR1B1, GHR, MYOD, DNAH2, USP43, ANK1, on beef colour are presented. In addition, specific examples of interactions between the processing environment and genetics in cattle breeding are summarized. Consequently, achieving optimal beef colour will entirely depend not only on the quality of the pre- and post-slaughter process but also on the molecular mechanisms