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Updated: May 27, 2026

Exploring the Longissimus Muscle: Unraveling its Correlation with Meat Quality in Bos indicus and Crossbred Bulls
Published on: July 12, 2024
Effect of season on color of Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) beef
Yong Sun Kim1, Seok Ki Yoon, Young Han Song
1Institute of Animal Resources, Kangwon National University, Chunchon, 200-701, South Korea.
Abstract:
A total of 1278 head of Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) slaughtered over four seasons were used to evaluate the effect of season on color characteristics of beef longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle. CIE L(∗), a(∗), b(∗), C(∗) values and hue angle were significantly lower (P<0.05) in cattle slaughtered in the winter season. Meat color was darker in the winter than in the spring and autumn seasons. The L(∗) values among three average daily temperature (T(a)) categories were different (P<0.05) in order of: [5 °C⩽T(a)<25 °C] > [T(a)⩾25 °C] > [T(a)<5 °C], indicating that the meat color of cattle slaughtered at T(a)<5 °C was darker. The a(∗), b(∗), C(∗) values and hue angle were significantly lower (P<0.05) in cattle slaughtered at T(a)<5 °C. Season at slaughter is of great importance for meat color. Namely, meat color of Hanwoo beef was influenced by environmental temperature. Overall, cattle slaughtered in the winter season of T(a)<5 °C produced beef with more undesirable meat color properties.
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