Changing cattle rations could enhance the nutritional benefits of beef and tap into a growing consumer desire for food that improves health, says a leading beef researcher.
Agriculture Canada Lethbridge Research Centre scientist Zahir Mir spoke at the National Beef Science Seminar, held recently in Lethbridge.
People often view food as something that can prevent or cure disease, Mir said.
This trend will change the way food is marketed and consumed in the future, he said, and beef producers should think about how to capitalize on it.
Read Also
Key actions identified to address canola tariffs
Federal and Saskatchewan governments discuss next steps with industry on Chinese tariffs
“Despite the negative press toward red meat consumption, beef contains many nutrients that are known to enhance health,” Mir said.
Meat products are the most concentrated natural sources of nutrients such as good quality protein, vitamins B6 and B12, niacin and highly available iron and zinc, Mir said.
He cited an example of one study done in the United States, where female high school athletes fed a daily beef snack for three months had higher hemoglobin levels and consistently performed better in fitness tests than students who weren’t given beef.
Beef can be improved by altering the production process. Mir’s research is part of a growing interest in a specific fatty acid – conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).
Lethbridge researchers report that feeding vegetable oil high in linoleic acid, which is converted to CLA in the rumen, boosted CLA levels in the muscle tissue of lambs by more than 200 percent. That increase also reduced the percentage of other fatty acids that are considered unhealthy.
Similar results are expected in beef cattle, said Mir, who collaborated with Randall Weselake of the University of Lethbridge.
In the study, scientists used safflower oil, the vegetable oil with the highest level of linoleic acid. However, sunflower and canola oil, along with some other vegetable oils, have comparably high levels of linoleic acid and could produce similar results.
CLA appears to have significant health benefits for humans and has been shown to increase lean mass in beef cattle and significantly reduce excess body fat.
This represents economic opportunity for the beef industry. Not only does beef with CLA open a door for new markets of health-conscious consumers, Mir said, it could save the industry millions of dollars in trimming costs because it reduces excess fat.
CLA is a good candidate for the future mass production of beef with increased health benefits, Mir said.
“In order for the North American cattle industry to use and promote this beef, it is essential that we understand exactly how it benefits human health, and that we develop methods to consistently produce a product with high levels of CLA,” he said.
