The feeding and nutrition of livestock is essential for good health and meat production. In the daily ration it is necessary to provide an adequate amount of nutrients for growth, body maintenance and pregnancy; each of these processes requires carbohydrates, protein, minerals, vitamins, water and the necessary amount of appropriate and balanced feed.
The energy level of the ration offered to the cattle affects the different sensory aspects of the meat, so that diets rich in carbohydrates increase the fat content of both the coverage of the carcass and the amount of fat found between the muscle fibers (marbling). The increase in fat in meat is related to an increase in juiciness, an improvement in the sensation of tenderness, as well as an increase in the intensity of flavor and aroma. We cannot forget that in the fat fraction of the meat reside the compounds responsible for the specific aroma of the meat.
The process of raising cattle for the production of Canadian beef begins on the ranches, where the cattle are fed by grazing most of their lives during the summer months and during the winter they are fed fodder which includes grass as well as leguminous plants such as clover and alfalfa. During the winter, grain can also be provided to ensure that the cattle have enough energy to grow.
At 3 or 4 months before going to market, the cattle feed can be gradually adjusted to a diet consisting mainly of grains such as corn or barley. The grain helps produce a higher degree of marbling, a tender, tasty, firm white Canadian beef. Corn is the only one with vitamins A, E and D, and is also rich in fat.
Occasionally there is a perception that there is a nutritional difference between beef from grazing cattle and beef from grazing cattle finished with a grain-based diet. In a recent study regarding fat, it was shown that both types of feeding in cattle provide omega-3 fatty acids, no differences were found in cholesterol levels or in nutrients such as iron and zinc. There were some nutrient differences in vitamin B, calcium, and potassium, but these differences were not significant as a function of total diet. In summary, it was concluded that both provide a significant amount of nutrients, and the nutritional difference between the two types of meat is not significant.
Livestock production in Canada is backed by more than 300 years of history and today there are more than 63,000 cattle farms and ranches where producers take seriously their responsibility, care of livestock and natural resources for the production of high quality, safe beef.
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