Wagyu

Research in Wagyu is at an early stage. A controlled trial at 5% showed a tendency toward more oleic acid in the muscle, while intake and gain were lower than the control. We therefore recommend a pilot with a control group before scaling up.

What the research shows

• Oleic acid in the muscle tends to be higher83 American Wagyu steers, 5%, 177 days; p < 0.06 (Tangredi et al. 2023)
• Better muscle fatty acid profile at 10–15% in finishing bulls (indirect evidence)Limousin bulls (Oteri et al. 2026; Chiofalo et al. 2020)

Recommended inclusion

Solid bar: tested in a published trial. Hatched bar: practical programme.

In the Wagyu trial, intake and daily gain were lower than the control at 5%. A pilot with a control group lets each farm confirm performance and meat quality before scaling.

In practice

• Ask for the certificate of analysis for each lot and formulate with its values.
• Introduce gradually over 7–14 days.
• Store dry, covered and cool; use the oldest stock first.
• Compare with a group on your usual diet to document your own results.

References

1. Tangredi B. V. et al. (2023). Effects of olive cake supplementation on feedlot performance and longissimus muscle fatty acid composition of American Wagyu steers. Ruminants 3(3):246–254. doi.org/10.3390/ruminants3030023
2. Oteri M. et al. (2026). Animals 16:729. iris.unime.it/handle/11570/3349990
3. Chiofalo V. et al. (2020). Animals 10(7):1176. www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/7/1176