Economic Performance and Meat Quality Traits of Extensively Reared Beef Cattle in Greece

Extensive cattle farming significantly contributes to Greece's agricultural economy. In such systems, animals mainly graze on natural grasslands whose biodiversity significantly affects meat quality traits. In Greece, the sector faces several economic challenges, while the literature investigating beef quality produced by these systems is scarce. Hence, this study aimed to (i) evaluate farms' economic performance; (ii) assess meat quality; and (iii) investigate the presence of heavy metals in liver samples of extensively reared beef cattle. The study involved three farms located in the Axios River Delta, a protected area of significant ecological importance in Northern Greece. A designated questionnaire was used to collect farm technical (herd size, meat production, grazing, feeding, reproduction, animal health) and economic data (income, variable costs). Meat samples of the Longissimus dorsi muscle (ninth rib) from 54 carcasses were collected and subjected to physicochemical (color, pH, texture, chemical composition, fatty acid profile) and microbiological analyses. Additionally, heavy metal analysis was conducted on 14 liver samples. A comparative analysis using parametric and non-parametric tests was performed to assess differences in meat quality traits between the 1st and 15th days of storage. The economic analysis showed that all studied farms operated with losses, with the average gross margin excluding subsidies being negative at EUR 130.5 ± 92.60/year per animal. Beef exhibited low fat content (1.1 ± 1.12%), with an average pH₂₄ value of 5.5 ± 0.36, respectively. The concentrations of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated fatty acids were 2.7 ± 0.72%, 44.6 ± 4.71%, and 47.3 ± 4.91%, respectively. Over the 15-day storage period, the yellowness (b*) value (p < 0.01), hue angle (p < 0.001), cohesiveness (p < 0.01), and springiness (p < 0.01) significantly decreased, while the lightness (L*) value significantly increased (p < 0.01). The mean Total Mesophilic Viable Counts and Total Enterobacterales were 5.0 log₁₀ CFU/g and 2.34 log₁₀ CFU/g, respectively, while heavy metal concentrations in bovine livers were below the maximum limits set by the European Commission. The results suggest that, despite the financial losses observed, beef's improved color parameters during storage, along with other favorable quality traits, highlight the potential of extensive cattle farming to meet consumer demand and support value-added marketing.