The Problem of Dark Cutting in Beef

Session I: Quality Aspects.- The Occurrence, Causes and Economic Consequences of Dark-Cutting in Beef - A Survey of Current Information.- Discussion.- Beef Quality, Marketing and the Consumer.- Discussion.- Session II: Muscle Metabolism and Animal Physiology.- Muscle Metabolic Type and the DFD Condition.- Discussion.- Control Mechanisms for the Enzymes of Glycogen Metabolism in Muscle.- Discussion.- Characteristics of the Metabolism of Carbohydrate in Ruminants Compared with other Mammals.- Discussion.- Session III: Animal Behaviour and the Environment.- Environmental and Behavioural Influences on the Supply of Energy for Muscle during Life and Consequences Post Mortem.- Behaviour of Domestic Cattle under Modern Management Techniques.- Discussion.- Animal Welfare in Relation to Transport, Lairage and Slaughter in Cattle (A Review).- Discussion.- Session IV: Genetic Influences on Meat Quality.- Hereditary Aspects of Susceptibility to Stress in Meat Animals.- Discussion.- Double-Muscling and Sensitivity to Stress.- Discussion.- Session V: Identification and Prevention of Dark-Cutting.- Preventive Treatments during the Pre-Slaughter Period.- Discussion.- Early Identification of the DFD Condition in Pre-Rigor Beef Carcasses.- Discussion.- Electrical Stimulation of Ante Mortem Stressed Beef.- Discussion.- Animal Stress and its Effect on Rigor Mortis Development in Labs.- Discussion.- Identification and Minimisation of DFD in Young Bulls in Denmark.- Discussion.- Session VI: Microbiological, Technological and Organoleptic Properties.- Microbiology of DFD Beef.- Discussion.- Translucency and Colour Defects of Dark-Cutting Meat and their Detection.- Discussion.- Eating Quality of DFD Beef.- Discussion.- Practical Aspects of the Use of Dark Firm Dry (DFD) Meat.- Discussion.- Poster Presentations.- Influence of Holding Animals before Slaughtering.- Post Mortem Muscle Biochemistry and Beef Quality.- Influence of Temperature, Fasting and Transportation.- Effects of Transportation and Pre-Slaughter Holding on Some Blood Parameters and on Meat Quality in Fattening Bulls.- Development of Special Feeds for Young Bulls Kept in Overnight Lairages.- Selective Glycogen Depletion and Recovery in Skeletal Muscles Fibre Types of Young Bulls Subjected to a Behavioural Stress.- The Breakdown of Muscle Glycogen during Behavioural Stress in Normal and Beta-Adrenoreceptor Blocked Young Bulls.- Factors Influencing Muscle Glycogen Synthesis after Adrenaline Induced Depletion in Beef Heifers.- Some Odours Produced by Bacteria on High pH and Normal Beef.- The Incidence of Dark-Cutting Beef in Young Bulls in Finland.- The Use of Freeze-Drying in Investigations on the Microbiology of Vacuum-Packed DFD Beef.- Poster Discussion.- Summary.- Summary.- List of Participants.