Lipid oxidation, pre-slaughter animal stress and meat packaging: Can dietary supplementation of vitamin E and plant extracts come to the rescue?

•Pre-slaughter stress increased MDA formation, except in vacuum-stored meat.•Pre-slaughter stress lowered levels of vitamin A in LT and E for O2/CO2 packaging.•Dietary vitamin E and polyphenols associated with less MDA and MetMb in meat. Normand cull-cows received a diet enriched in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), known to enhance nutritional quality, but to decrease beef lipid stability. Half of the cows received a supplementation of vitamin E and plant extracts rich in polyphenols during the finishing period. Half of each feeding group was slaughtered under limited, the others under added stress conditions. Longissimus thoracis (LT) and Semitendinosus (ST) were evaluated after storage under air, or 70% O2/30% CO2 or vacuum conditions. Irrespectively of diet, pre-slaughter stress i) increased post-mortem malondialdehyde (MDA) formation except in vacuum-stored meat, ii) decreased vitamin A levels in the LT, iii) decreased vitamin E levels in meat stored in 70% O2/30% CO2 and total anti-oxidant status in vacuum stored meat. Effects were global; dietary supplementation with vitamin E and plant extracts was associated with lower MDA levels and MetMb percentage and higher levels of vitamin A and E.