Consumer sensory acceptance and value of domestic, Canadian, and Australian grass-fed beef steaks1

Abstract

To determine US consumer acceptance and value of beef from various countries, 24 taste panels of consumers (n = 273 consumers) were conducted in Denver and Chicago. Two pairs of strip steaks were evaluated for flavor, juiciness, tenderness, and overall acceptability on eight-point hedonic scales. One pair consisted of an Australian grass-fed strip steak and a domestic strip steak, whereas the other pair included Canadian and domestic strip steaks. The pairs were matched to similar Warner-Bratzler shear values and marbling scores to decrease variation associated with tenderness and juiciness. A variation of the Vickery auction was used to obtain silent, sealed bids on steaks (0.45 kg) from the same strip loins sampled in the taste panel. Consumers gave higher (P < 0.001) scores for flavor, juiciness, tenderness, and overall acceptability for domestic steaks compared with Australian grass-fed steaks. Domestic steaks averaged 3.68/0.45 dollars kg, whereas consumers placed an average value of 2.48/0.45 dollars kg on Australian grass-fed steaks (P < 0.001). Consumers rated Canadian steaks numerically lower for juiciness (P = 0.09) and lower (P < 0.005) for flavor, tenderness, and overall acceptability than domestic samples. Consumers placed an average value of 3.95/0.45 dollars kg for domestic steaks and 3.57/0.45 dollars kg for Canadian steaks (P < 0.01). Consumers (19.0%) who preferred Australian grass-fed steaks over domestic steaks paid 1.38/0.45 dollars kg more (P < 0.001), whereas consumers (29.3%) who favored the Canadian steaks over the domestic steaks paid 1.37/0.45 dollars kg more (P < 0.001) for the Canadian steaks. A majority of US consumers seem to be accustomed to the taste of domestic beef and prefer domestic steaks to beef from Australia grass-fed and Canadian beef.

Comparing Honduran and United States Consumers’ Sensory Perceptions of Honduran and U.S. Beef Loin Steaks

“…These results align with previous reports that U.S. consumers were willing to pay more for domestic U.S. grain finished beef when compared to imported beef from countries such as Australia, Canada, and Argentina, where finishing practices differ from those in the U.S. (Killinger et al, 2004;Sitz et al, 2005). Killinger et al (2004) found that U.S. consumers were willing to pay more for U.S. beef compared to grassfed Argentine beef, and they were willing to pay even more when they found domestic samples more acceptable than Argentine steaks.…”

“…Even when Sitz et al (2005) matched U.S. strip steaks to either Canadian or Australian grass-fed strip steaks according to similar Warner-Bratzler shear force values and marbling, U.S. consumers were accustomed to U.S. domestic beef flavor and preferred that over either imported option, which aligned with the current results. Honduran consumers, however, did not show allegiance to their domestic product, rating both U.S. treatments greater for overall liking than either of the Honduran treatments.…”

“…Killinger et al (2004) found that U.S. consumers were willing to pay more for U.S. beef compared to grassfed Argentine beef, and they were willing to pay even more when they found domestic samples more acceptable than Argentine steaks. Likewise, Sitz et al (2005) reported that consumers would pay $1.20/0.45 kg more for domestic strip steak compared to Australian grass-fed strip steak, but only a $0.38/0.45 kg premium for U.S. beef over Canadian beef.…”

Sensory Quality of Culinary Pork Meat in Relation to Slaughter and Technological Value

“…While it has been known for many years that tenderness and juiciness play a large role in acceptability of meat by a consumer, it has become increasingly apparent that flavour also needs to be addressed. In a large, multiple-city study, flavour was found to be the most important factor affecting consumers' meat buying habits and preferences when tenderness was held constant (Sitz et al, 2005). Similar results were received in a study of Jaworska et al (2006).…”

Factors affecting cooked chicken meat flavour: a review

“…Generally, consumers prefer to have high quality, convenient and safe meat products that contain natural flavour and taste (Aymerich et al, 2008). Flavour, which comprises mainly the two sensations of taste and aroma or smell, has been found to be one of the most important factors affecting consumers' meat-buying habits and preferences even before the meat is eaten (Shahidi, 1989;Sitz et al, 2005). Of all types of meat consumed in the world, chicken continues to be the cheapest, and its consumption is expected to increase by 34% by 2018 (Jung et al, 2011).…”