Influence of vitamin A on the beef quality of the Tajima strain of Japanese Black cattle was studied. Marbling scores were correlated with serum vitamin A concentrations just before slaughter (r = -0.38). The mean marbling score of the low vitamin A group that were not supplemented with vitamin A after 15 months of age was sign$cantly higher than that of the group supplemented with high vitamin A. However, there was no significant difference in the marbling scores between the group that were not given vitamin A after 23months of age and the high vitamin A supplemented group. These results suggest that vitamin A supplementation affects carcass marbling only tf given before 23 months of age, in these cattle. 0 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved