Beef Quality Preferences: Factors Driving Consumer Satisfaction

Abstract

The current study was designed to broaden the understanding of the attributes impacting the sensory properties of beef when consumed. Using a survey of consumers from three different geographical regions in the United States (US), we determined the impacts of three attributes on overall satisfaction in several different ways. The two main statistical methods used were an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model and the Conditional Logit model. Perhaps the most important finding of this study was that flavor was the largest contributor to consumer satisfaction. This finding was consistent throughout all the models. In the base model, flavor represented 59% of the satisfaction rating. Additionally, results indicated domestic beef was preferred over Australian beef by US consumers. Another important finding of the study was the impact of the demographic variables of age, income, and gender on satisfaction. The older group generally placed more emphasis on tenderness, while younger people preferred juicier beef. Males were more responsive than females for all attributes, especially tenderness. Those with higher income were more responsive to tenderness for all quality levels, but the lower income group was more responsive to juiciness. Overall, flavor had the largest impact on consumers’ satisfaction level in comparison to tenderness or juiciness.

The effect of gender status on the growth performance, carcass and meat quality traits of young crossbred Holstein-Friesian×Limousin cattle

“…However, more recent studies have shown that as overall tenderness improved and tenderness variation decreased, flavor has become a more important driver of beef consumer liking. In general, as long as tenderness and juiciness are at acceptable levels, flavor is the main driver of overall liking [27,28]. In the present study, beef from steers and heifers scored higher for flavor (4.86 in both cases) than beef from bulls.…”

Development and validation of a SNPs panel used for beef traceability throughout the food chain

“…Genetic traceability is a powerful tool to complement conventional methods for tracing food products through the production chain. The use of this genetic tool is especially important for products with high-added value, for which fraud is common (Aprile et al, 2012;Felderhoff et al, 2020). By using this tool, producers can verify that their products are correctly labeled throughout each step of the production of a marketable product.…”

Sensory and Physical Characteristics of M. biceps femoris from Older Cows Using Ginger Powder (Zingibain) and Sous Vide Cooking

“…There are papers showing that people vary in their liking for tenderness and texture of the meat [47]. Elderly people desire a softer texture and often prefer very tender meat due to trouble chewing and swallowing difficulties [51,52].…”