Table 1. Comparison of marbling score and meat quality characteristics between Hanwoo and Holstein steers of different beef quality grades

Breed	Hanwoo		Holstein			Level of significance
Quality grade	1(n=23)	2(n=12)	1(n=8)	2(n=10)	3(n=6)
Marbling score	4.57a(0.10)1)	2.42b(0.13)	4.75a(0.16)	2.10b(0.14)	1.00c(0.18)	***
Muscle pH24 h	5.53(0.03)	5.52(0.04)	5.62(0.05)	5.58(0.04)	5.61(0.06)	NS
Meat color
Lightness (L*)	30.9bc(0.68)	29.6c(0.94)	33.9a(1.16)	32.7ab(1.04)	33.1a(1.34)	*
Redness (a*)	16.4(0.48)	16.4(0.67)	17.9(0.82)	17.5(0.73)	18.9(0.94)	NS
Yellowness (b*)	8.32(0.49)	7.55(0.68)	8.46(0.84)	7.94(0.75)	8.66(0.97)	NS
Water holding capacity
Drip loss (%)	0.95b(0.12)	1.43a(0.16)	0.61b(0.20)	0.81b(0.18)	0.59b(0.23)	*
Cooking loss (%)	23.5(0.85)	23.8(1.18)	19.7(1.44)	20.4(1.29)	21.4(1.66)	NS
Warner-Bratzler shear force (N)	56.6d(1.68)	60.8d(2.43)	69.2c(2.90)	78.7b(2.43)	87.8a(3.44)	***

SEM.
Different superscripts in the same row significant differences (p<0.05).
p<0.05
p<0.001; NS, not significant.