Padrões de qualidade da carne bovina gourmet

Abstract

Considering that Brazil is an icon in the production and export of beef and the emergence of new niches in the consumer market, concerns about inspection methods and meat quality have been exerting great pressure on animal breeders and slaughterhouses, originating products differentiated products that meet the demands of these consumers. The objective was to carry out a bibliographical survey on gourmet meat, describing the main factors that influence the quality of meat, and also its different types of commercial cuts. The literature pointed out that animals subject to stressful factors in pre-slaughter handling will have meat with an undesirable appearance, texture, color and pH resulting in defects in the final product, low quality meat, in addition to significant economic losses, both for industries and for the other components of the production chain. The use of the term gourmet attributes many aspects that are present throughout the meat production process, such as breed, nutrition, animal breeding time and preparation of the cuts. The most used breeds are the European ones (mainly Angus) or the Japanese Wagyu (which produces the most expensive cut in the world), which have the potential for deposition of intramuscular fat (or marbling), as well as greater precocity and carcass conformation with a finish of fat. The main characteristic of gourmet meat is the experience provided to the consumer when consuming it. The cuts have high added value, meeting hygiene and health standards, and are presented in a sophisticated way, with aspects aimed at the niche market. There is a preference for the “ancho” steak (rib fillet) as the most consumed prime cut, followed by picanha, filet mignon and rump steak, respectively. It is concluded that gourmet meat is a new consumer culture, still expanding, that appreciates a special and high-quality product, thus enabling an opening to proteins with higher added value, which, consequently, opens the way to a new reality within traditional Brazilian beef cattle farming. Therefore, intensifying, implementing and raising inspection standards is beneficial for the animal and for increasing the quality of the meat.