The Long-Awaited Most Comprehensive Wagyu Lipid Study Ever Is Finally Underway!
The long-awaited American Wagyu Association Lipid Study is finally under way. It starts with asking Wagyu breeders to “nominate” steers to the feeding program. There will be great benefit to the entire Wagyu industry from this important study.
The study will compare Angus vs. Fullblood Black Wagyu vs. Fullblood Red Wagyu vs. F1 (Wagyu/Angus cross) cattle, on both a grass-fed and a grain-fed feeding program. The study will track the animals all the way from weaning to harvest, and the lipid (fat) will be analyzed, as well as meat tenderness and other important characteristics of the final beef product. The study will be conducted by Texas A&M University.
The AWA will provide the Angus steers and will pay the Wagyu producers that supply Wagyu steers for the study for transport to/from the feeding/harvesting location near College Station, Texas. The producer/supplier of the steers will pay a very competitive rate for feed only, and will retain ownership of the steer after harvest (if desired) or will have the option to sell the harvested beef at the end of the program. It should be a financially neutral/positive outcome for the producer/supplier of steers to the program.
The TWA board of directors has decided to “get behind” this study because of its importance to the Wagyu community, and because the feeding and harvest of the steers will be done in central Texas It makes sense for Texas Wagyu producers to get involved and supply the Wagyu steers for this important study.
See the attached PDF file below, which contains a letter from the AWA Lipid Study Committee and a “nomination” form to be used by the producer/supplier to nominate steers to the program. Following a period of seeking steer nominations, the AWA Lipid Study Committee will select a random sampling of steers that are representative of a cross-section of the Wagyu market, and based upon cost of transportation to the study facility. To perform the study requires 20 of each class of animal (10 each for grass-fed and grain-fed). Please take this seriously and get involved, as this is a very important study and you can help make it happen!
