ISSN:
1750-3841
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
,
Process Engineering, Biotechnology, Nutrition Technology
Notes:
SUMMARY –Consumer preferences for beef attributes are not closely related to grade. From a consumer viewpoint, however, they should be if grades are used. Such relationships will be found and quantified through rasearch relating consumer preferences to beef variables. In this study, consumer preferences were related to selected beef characteristics, including indicators of tenderness, juiciness and flavor. Steaks from top rounds of 176 steers were divided into three or four classes for each characteristic and evaluated in pairs by a 950-family consumer panel. Paired comparisons were used and analysis made to obtain maximum-likelihood estimates of the probability that a given class would receive top rating when ranked. Probability sets were calculated for each characteristic and were found quite similar. The sets were approximately as follows: .30, .26, .23, .21 for four classes and .40, .32, .28 for three. The order from highest to lowest was usually that expected by food scientists. When ether extract and shear were combined in analysis, the set was almost identical to the above for four classes. Descriptive grades are suggested by these results, for there is a probability of from .60 to .70 that the consumer in this study will give top ranking to a class of steak other than what present grades and meat scientists consider “best”. The major application of this research is in the development of hypotheses for future research. These hypotheses will be concerned with how discerning consumers are, how consumer tastes differ, what characteristic–or group of characteristics–can best be used to describe beef and whether grading can be meaningful if done by carcass vs. by muscle, cut or some grouping of muscles or cuts.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1971.tb03302.x
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