Table 1. Comparison of mean saturated fatty acid composition expressed as mg/100 g of meat between grass-fed and grain-fed beef

Author (publication year)	Feeding system	Breed	Beef cut/muscle location	Fat content	Saturated fatty acid (mg/100 g meat)
Author (publication year)	Feeding system	Breed	Beef cut/muscle location	Fat content	C12:0	C14:0	C16:0	C18:0	C20:0	Total SFA
Najar-Villarreal et al. (2019)	Grass-fed	NR	Ground beef	15.7 (% crude fat)	11.5^*	457.3^*	3,746.3	1,784.7^*	372.5^*	6,322.0^*
Najar-Villarreal et al. (2019)	Grain-fed	Angus	Ground beef	19.8 (% crude fat)	16.3^*	623.9^*	4,771.8	2,562.7^*	551.4^*	8,431.8^*
Hwang and Joo (2017)	Grass-fed	Hanwoo	Sirloin	5.94 (% crude fat)	3.8^*	142.6^*	1,593.7^*	724.7^*	7.6^*	2,569.8^*
	Grain-fed	Hanwoo	Sirloin	25.39 (% crude fat)	14.0^*	565.2^*	6,098.0^*	2,088.5^*	25.6^*	9,223.8^*
	Grass-fed	Australian beef	Sirloin	5.15 (% crude fat)	3.3^*	126.0^*	1,442.1^*	742.0^*	8.0^*	2,415.3^*
	Grain-fed	American beef	Sirloin	10.22 (% crude fat)	4.7^*	239.7^*	2,579.1^*	1,339.6^*	11.2^*	4,332.5^*
Turner et al. (2015)	Grass-fed	NR	Ribeye	38.26 (mg/g muscle)	NR	86.9	911.2^*	602.8	NR	1,671.7
Turner et al. (2015)	Grain-fed	NR	Ribeye	84.90 (mg/g muscle)	NR	213.1	2,107.5^*	1,228.7	NR	3,701.8
Duckett et al. (2013)	Grass-fed	Angus	Ribeye, strip	2.6 (% total fat)	NR	57.9	606.1	401.5	NR	1,064.6
Duckett et al. (2013)	Grain-fed	Angus	Ribeye, strip	6.7 (% total fat)	NR	171.9	1,657.5	812.9	NR	2,642.9
Aldai et al. (2011)	Grass-fed	Asturian valley cattle	Ribeye/ L. thoracis	NR	0.014 (%)^*	0.60 (%)^*	15.82 (%)^*	15.85 (%)	0.11 (%)	197.2^*
Aldai et al. (2011)	Grain-fed	Asturian valley cattle	Ribeye/ L. thoracis	NR	0.024 (%)^*	1.36 (%)^*	20.97 (%)^*	15.31 (%)	0.09 (%)	447.6^*
Alfaia et al. (2009)	Grass-fed	Alentejano purebred	Sirloin/ L. lumborum	9.76 (mg/g muscle)	0.4^*	11.1^*	164.7^*	133.7^*	2.2^*	346.5
Alfaia et al. (2009)	Grain-fed	Alentejano purebred	Sirloin/L. lumborum	13.03 (mg/g muscle)	0.7^*	22.0^*	248.1^*	209.3^*	2.3^*	468.7
Ponnampalam et al. (2006)	Grass-fed	Angus	Sirloin/L. lumborum	2.12 (% of muscle)	NR	56.9^*	508.0	272.8	NR	900.0^*
Ponnampalam et al. (2006)	Grain-fed	Angus	Sirloin/L. lumborum	3.61 (% of muscle)	NR	103.7^*	899.0	463.3	NR	1,568.0^*
Realini et al. (2004)	Grass-fed	Hereford	Ground beef	11.43a (% total fat)	NR	304.7^*	2,498.1	2,035.3^*	NR	5,037.1^*
Realini et al. (2004)	Grain-fed	Angus-Hereford	Ground beef	24.57b (% total fat)	NR	724.7^*	5,448.7	3,294.9^*	NR	9,891.4^*

Between grass-fed and grain-fed beef studies followed by asterisk indicates significant difference (at least p<0.05); NR, not reported; C12:0, lauric acid; C14:0, myristic acid; C16:0, palmitic acid; C18:0, stearic acid; C20:0, arachidic acid; SFA, saturated fatty acid.