Growth, carcass traits and palatability: Can the influence of the feeding regimes explain the variability found on those attributes in different Uruguayan genotypes? G. Brito a, ⁎, R. San Julián a , A. La Manna b , M. del Campo a , F. Montossi a , G. Banchero b , D. Chalkling b , J.M. Soares de Lima a a National Institute of Agricultural Research, INIA Tacuarembó, Ruta 5 Km 386, Tacuarembó, Uruguay b National Institute of Agricultural Research, INIA La Estanzuela, Ruta 50 Km 11, Colonia, Uruguay abstract article info Article history: Received 16 April 2014 Received in revised form 4 July 2014 Accepted 7 July 2014 Available online 12 July 2014 Keywords: Diet Beef Carcass traits Meat quality Uruguay It is well known what genetic and nutritional factors affect growth and meat quality, but there is less information related to interactive importance of them during the productive process. These systems are mainly based on rangelands affecting animal growth in early stages of life thus producing smaller cattle and reduced retail yield comparing with well grown calves. During the last ten years, Uruguayan livestock production systems have been intensified using improved pastures, concentrates and better genetic. The main breeds in Uruguay are Hereford, Angus and their crosses. These British breeds are under genetic evaluation programs which consider carcass trait parameters. It is important for beef industry to know if interactions between genotype and nutrition during growth and fattening phases are influencing production, efficiency, carcass weight and meat quality attributes. The aim of this article is to present information obtained under different feeding strategies during the post weaning and fattening and their influence on those attributes. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The beef cattle industry is constantly changing to meet the produc- tion requirements of sustainable agriculture and consumer demands for beef quality (Boleman et al., 1998; McKenna et al., 2002). Thus, several segments of the beef industry are striving to increase product quality, productivity, and economic returns. It is well known that these variables may be determined by different growth paths during early and later stages of the animals. The cattle nutrition and growth during gestation and after birth have a great incidence on feed intake efficiency, carcass composition and meat quality. The major nutritional factors affecting tissular composition of the calf at weaning are the lactation performance of the dam and the quality of nutrients offered during early life of the cattle. The growth patterns are affected by climate and availability and quality of the pasture and the entire offered diet. Much attention has been given to the influence of previous plane of nutrition on subsequent rearing and finishing performance. Meyer, Hull, Waitkamp, and Bonilla (1965) found that whereas cattle made compensatory gains on pasture after having been wintered on low plane of nutrition no compensatory growth was observed. The magni- tude of compensatory gain tends to increase as dietary energy levels increase. Fox, Johnson, Preston, Dockerty, and Klosterman (1972) found that the efficiency of protein use for growth was greater in compensating cattle growth and suggested that higher protein:energy ratios are required for such cattle. Numerous attempts have been made in the US to characterize many breeds and breed crosses for carcass traits (Koch et al., 1976; Wertz et al., 2002). Two studies (Koch, Dikeman, Lipsey, Allen, & Crouse, 1979; Wheeler, Cundiff, Koch, & Crouse, 1996) concluded that ranking of breed groups varies for several carcass traits depending on different slaughter end points (age, carcass weight, fat thickness, fat trim per- centage, and marbling score). Meat eating satisfaction depends on the social demographic condi- tion of the consumer. Nowadays, taste and nutritional value are two important quality attributes of meat for most of consumers. The tenden- cy is to produce lean animals with adequate levels of fat thickness, but it is accepted that the amount and type of fat contribute to some organo- leptic properties of meat as tenderness and flavor (Wood & Enser, 1997). Dietary recommendations for humans promoting the consump- tion of less saturated fat have led to an increased interest in meats containing more unsaturated fatty acids. Beef cattle growing and feed- ing programs can have deep effects on body composition and nutrient metabolism. These nutritional programs may alter the fatty acid Meat Science 98 (2014) 533–538 ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +598 46322407; fax: +598 46323969. E-mail address: gbrito@inia.org.uy (G. Brito). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.07.003 0309-1740/© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Meat Science journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/meatsci