The objective ofthis study was to characterize meat quality in Bos taurus and Bosindicus and to determine the influence of finishing system and genetic groupon the physicochemical properties of the longissimus thoracis at 24 hoursand 10 days post mortem (1ºC). The sample included 160 bulls ofthe B. taurus (n=75) and B. indicus (n=85) groups, finished eitheron pasture (n=46) or with grain supplementation (n=114), slaughtered at a carcassweight of 270 to 300 kg. Pasture-finished animals had higher pH, lower red contentand a fat content 2.5 times lower than those finished with supplementation.Meat from supplement-finished animals had lower shear force in comparison tothat from animals finished on pasture, with means of 7.7 and 8.5 kg at 24 hours,and of 5.5 and 5.9 kg at 10 days, respectively. Samples of B. taurusand B. indicus were similar in moisture and protein, but B. tauruspresented higher means for ash and lower means for fat. Aged samples of B.indicus finished on pasture showed lower values for lightness and yellowness.Overall, lightness and yellow content increased and red content decreased with10-day ageing. Means for shear force were lower in B. taurus than inB. indicus, with differences of 1.4 kg in fresh meat and 0.6 kg in agedsamples. The reduction in shear force with ageing was more pronounced in sampleswith higher initial shear force, in spite of the positive relationship betweenshear force before and after ageing.
