Assessment of carcass and meat quality of longissimus thoracis and semimembranosus muscles of Hanwoo with Korean beef grading standards

The carcass traits, meat quality traits, and fatty acid profile of two muscles, longissimus thoracis (LT) and semimembranosus (SM), in Hanwoo steers were investigated against the Korean beef quality grade (QG) and yield grade (YG) standards. Back fat thickness and carcass weight most affect the YGs, while the marbling score is the primary determinant of the QGs. The muscle type greatly influenced the meat qualities, sensory properties, and fatty acid profiles of Hanwoo meat. In terms of sensory aspects, the muscle type affected the QG for tenderness and juiciness, with the LT being more desirable than the SM for all the sensory attributes. SM meat is potentially beneficial for human health because it has a lower amount of unhealthy saturated fatty acids and a greater amount of healthier polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially essential fatty acids, than the LT. The present study indicates that carcass based common grading system does not reflect the real value of SM meat.