Colostrum is the first secretion produced by the mammary gland after calving, providing essential macronutrients and micronutrients to newborns. Monitoring elemental concentrations in bovine colostrum (BC) is crucial, as it serves for the physiological development and health of the neonates. Current gold-standard methods to determine elemental composition of BC are inductively coupled plasma optical-emission spectrometry or inductively coupled plasma MS. These techniques, however, are time-consuming, expensive, labor-intensive, and destructive, and they require sample preparation such as chemical matrix decomposition. In this view, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) could represent a handy alternative. This study evaluated the effectiveness of ED-XRF for the prediction of Na, Mg, P, S, K, Ca, and Zn in BC measured through inductively coupled plasma optical-emission spectrometry as reference method. The performances of ED-XRF in predicting BC elemental composition were assessed on the entire dataset (comprising 160 samples of individual BC), on a training set (comprising 70% of the samples), and on a testing set (comprising 30% of the samples). The models demonstrated satisfactory goodness of fit for S (coefficient of determination in external validation, R²_TE = 0.77) and Zn (R²_TE = 0.74), indicating their suitability for rough screening of such elements, while showing lower association for Na, Mg, P, K, and Ca. Results of the present study could support the development of rapid screening approaches to assess S and Zn levels in BC, contributing to more informed supplementation strategies of such minerals for calves, thereby preventing deficiencies and supporting neonatal development.

Minerals and trace elements are vital for numerous physiological processes in mammals. The current reference analysis for mineral determination in biological matrices is inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). This analysis is costly, time-consuming, and destructive. While commercial kits are a viable alternative to ICP-MS due to the lower cost, their limit lies in the ability of determining only one mineral at a time. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) has been proposed as a potential alternative for the rapid determination of mineral concentration in biological matrices. This study evaluated the accuracy of ED-XRF as an alternative to commercial diagnostic kits to predict the concentrations of sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, chloride, potassium, calcium, iron, and selenium in cattle plasma without sample pretreatment, potentially reducing the time of analysis compared to commercial kits and costs and labor compared to ICP-MS. Reference mineral concentrations were determined in 277 samples using in vitro diagnostics regulation-certified commercial diagnostic kits. The results indicated a moderate prediction accuracy only for potassium. For the other minerals, the prediction accuracy of ED-XRF was insufficient, which suggests that some degree of sample preparation is necessary to improve the determination of minerals in plasma.

Dry-aged (DA) beef crust is a concentrated by-product generated during dry-ageing, that may serve as a functional ingredient and flavour carrier in value-added meat products, although its effects on product stability during retail display remain unclear. This study evaluated the effect of incorporating 40% DA beef crust into DA beef patties on physicochemical, microbial, and sensory traits during a 7-day retail display. Two treatments were prepared: patties without crust (DAN) or patties containing 40% crust (DAC), assessed at days 0, 3, and 7. Data were analysed using a 2×3 factorial design, and sensory traits with mixed models. DAC affected several quality traits, producing more concentrated patties with lower water (PT×D<0.001), higher fat (PT×D=0.039) and protein (PT<0.001), reduced cooking loss (CL; PT×D<0.001), and greater energy density (PT×D=0.028) than DAN. It also modified display stability, with significant interaction effects for pH and colour traits including redness and chroma (PT×D<0.01). Cooked DAC enhanced DA sensory expression, particularly aged/nutty odour, together with more heterogeneous and browned appearance. DAC patties also showed higher initial total viable counts (PT=0.040) and Enterobacteriaceae (PT=0.002), while rapid microbial growth occurred during display, including increases in Pseudomonas spp. (PD<0.001). These changes were accompanied by faster deterioration of rancid and spoilage-related perceptions and by lower acceptability after storage. Overall, DA beef crust can be valorised as an odour-enhancing and functional ingredient: however, at 40% inclusion, it is more suitable for patties intended for immediate consumption or sold as chilled ready-to-heat products rather than for raw patties intended for extended retail display.