An in-home beef study evaluated consumer ratings from moderate-to-heavy beef users as influenced by cut (top loin, top sirloin, and top round steaks), USDA quality grade (Top Choice, Low Choice, High Select, and Low Select), and city (Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco). Consumers (n = 2,212) evaluated each steak for overall like (OLIKE), tenderness (TEND), juiciness (JUIC), flavor desirability (DFLAV), and flavor intensity (IFLAV) using 23-point hedonic scales (23 = like extremely, extremely tender, extremely juicy, like extremely, and an extreme amount of flavor; 1 = dislike extremely, not at all tender, not at all juicy, dislike extremely, and no flavor at all). A USDA grade x cut interaction existed for OLIKE (P < .05). Consumers rated top loin steaks highest (P < .05) in OLIKE and ranked Top Choice highest of all steaks (P < .05). Within the top loin, consumers were not (P > .05) able to distinguish OLIKE differences between Low Choice and High Select or between High Select and Low Select. For OLIKE, top sirloin was rated intermediate (P < .05) of the three cuts, and consumers were not able to detect (P > .05) USDA quality grade differences. For OLIKE, top round was the lowest-rated (P < .05) cut. However, consumers preferred (OLIKE, P < .05) Top Choice to the other USDA grades offered. Grade and city interacted to affect TEND, JUIC, DFLAV, and IFLAV. The cut x city interaction was significant for all palatability attributes. Cut and city affected customer satisfaction more than USDA quality grade. Tenderness and flavor were important and equal contributors to OLIKE, r = .85 and r = .86, respectively.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the consumer-controlled factors of cooking method and degree of doneness on Top Choice, Low Choice, High Select, and Low Select top loin steaks. The in-home product test was conducted in Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Consumers (n = 2,212) evaluated each top loin steak for overall like (OLIKE), tenderness (TEND), juiciness (JUIC), flavor desirability (DFLAV), and flavor intensity (IFLAV) using 23-point hedonic scales. Respondents in San Francisco and Philadelphia cooked their top loin steaks to lower degrees of doneness than those in Chicago and Houston. Outdoor grilling was the most common method of cookery for top loin steaks in all cities. Consumers had the highest preference for Top Choice steaks (P < .05) and the lowest preference for Low Select steaks (P < .05). Consumer OLIKE scores were the highest (P < .05) for steaks cooked to a medium rare or lesser degree of doneness. Consumers preferred (P < .05) medium and well done or more degrees of doneness over medium well. The interaction of city x cooking method was significant for all steak palatability attributes. The differences in consumer preparation techniques among cities present challenges for the beef industry to develop market-specific promotional campaigns.

Trained sensory panel ratings and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBS) values from the Beef Customer Satisfaction study are reported. Carcasses were chosen to fit into USDA quality grades of Top Choice (upper two-thirds of USDA Choice), Low Choice, High Select, and Low Select. A trained, descriptive attribute panel evaluated top loin, top sirloin, and top round steaks for muscle fiber tenderness, connective tissue amount, overall tenderness, juiciness, flavor intensity, cooked beef flavor intensity, and cooked beef fat flavor intensity. Four steaks from each of the three cuts from each carcass were assigned randomly to one of four cooking endpoint temperature treatments (60, 65, 70, or 75 degrees C) for WBS determination. For all trained panel measures of tenderness and WBS, regardless of USDA quality grade, top loin steaks were rated higher than top sirloin steaks, which were rated higher than top round steaks (P < 0.05). There were significant interactions between USDA quality grade and cut for most of the trained sensory panel traits: USDA quality grade influenced ratings for top loin steaks more than ratings for top round steaks or top sirloin steaks. Three interactions were significant for WBS values: USDA quality grade x endpoint temperature (P = 0.02), USDA quality grade x cut (P = 0.0007), and cut x endpoint temperature (P = 0.0001). With the exception of High Select, WBS values increased (P < 0.05) for each grade with increasing endpoint temperature. Choice top loin and top round steaks had lower (P < 0.05) WBS values than Select steaks of the same cut; however, only Top Choice top sirloin steaks differed (P < 0.05) from the other USDA grades. As endpoint temperatures increased, WBS values for top sirloin steaks increased substantially compared to the other cuts. When cooked to 60 degrees C, top sirloin steaks were closer to top loin steaks in WBS values, when cooked to 75 degrees C, top sirloin steaks were closer to top round steaks in WBS values. Simple correlation coefficients between consumer ratings and trained sensory muscle fiber tenderness, connective tissue amount, overall tenderness, juiciness, flavor intensity, and cooked beef fat flavor were significant (P < 0.05), but values were low. While relationships exist between consumer and trained sensory measures, it is difficult to predict from objective data how consumers will rate meat at home.

Cull beef cows (n = 80) that had consumed similar grassland diets were assigned to one of four feeding periods (0, 28, 56, and 84 d) and subdivided into two groups fed either a high-energy, high-protein diet or a high-energy, low-protein diet. Treatments were designed to examine the effect of time on feed, dietary protein, and electrical stimulation on carcass traits, composition, shear force, sensory profile, collagen characteristics, and myoglobin state. Within 1 h of slaughter, the right side of each carcass was electrically stimulated, and the left side served as the control. The only trait influenced by protein level was longissimus muscle area, for which a high-protein diet resulted in larger (P < .05) longissimus muscle areas. Increased time on a high-energy diet increased USDA yield grade and sensory ratings; however, metmyoglobin and reduced myoglobin values decreased between 0 and 28 d on feed. Electrical stimulation improved lean color, shear force values, and sensory attributes. Electrical stimulation decreased shear force by 2.8 kg for 0-d carcasses. With subsequent days on feed, shear force values continued to decrease, but this effect was minimal in electrically stimulated carcasses. However, protein level did not significantly influence palatability and quality attributes. The greatest (P < .05) improvement in marbling score was observed in electrically stimulated carcasses from cows fed for 84 d. Additionally, feeding a high-protein diet for 84 d resulted in a slightly lower maturity score. Even though values for palatability and quality traits were improved by antemortem and postmortem treatments, the magnitude of improvement may not be great enough for steaks from mature fed cows to be considered as acceptable as steaks from young fed beef.

A study to compare procedures and interventions for removing physical and bacterial contamination from beef carcasses was conducted in six carcass conversion operations that were representative of modern, high-volume plants and located in five different states. Treatment procedures included trimming, washing, and the current industry practice of trimming followed by washing. In addition, hot (74 to 87.8°C at the pipe) water washing and rinsing with ozone (0.3 to 2.3 ppm) or hydrogen peroxide (5%) were applied as intervention treatments. Beef carcasses were deliberately contaminated with bovine fecal material at &gt;4.0 log colony-forming units (CFU)/cm2 in order to be better able to observe the decontaminating effects of the treatments. Carcasses were visually scored by 2 to 3 trained personnel for the level of gross contamination before and after treatment. Samples (10 by 15 cm, 0.3 to 0.5 cm thick) for microbiological testing were excised as controls or after application of each procedure or intervention and analyzed for aerobic mesophilic plate counts, Escherichia coli Biotype I counts, and presence or absence of Listeria spp., Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Average reductions in aerobic plate counts were 1.85 and 2.00 log CFU/cm2 for the treatments of trimming-washing and hot-water washing, respectively. Hydrogen peroxide and ozone reduced aerobic plate counts by 1.14 and 1.30 log CFU/cm2, respectively. In general, trimming and washing of beef carcasses consistently resulted in low bacterial populations and scores for visible contamination. However, the data also indicated that hot- (74 to 87.8°C at the pipe) water washing was an effective intervention that reduced bacterial and fecal contamination in a consistent manner.