We hypothesized that subcutaneous (s.c.) adipose tissue would differ in monounsaturated (MUFA) and saturated fatty acid (SFA) composition among different depots throughout a beef carcass. To test this, 50 carcasses from a variety of breed types and backgrounds were sampled. External fat samples were collected from eight different carcass locations: round, sirloin, loin, rib, chuck, brisket, plate and flank. The brisket was significantly lower (P=0.001) in palmitic (16:0) and stearic (18:0) acid than the other seven sampling sites. The brisket contained the highest concentration of MUFA (P=0.001) and the lowest concentration of trans-vaccenic acid (P=0.002) and SFA (P0.002). There was a high, negative correlation between palmitoleic and stearic acid (R(2)=0.76). The flank had the highest slip point (39C; a measure of melting point), whereas the brisket had the lowest slip point (25C) (P0.001). We conclude that substantial differences exist in fatty acid composition across fat depots, which may be useful in formulating value-added processed beef products.
