Physicochemical and Sensory Assessments in Spain and United States of PGI-Certified Ternera de Navarra vs. Certified Angus Beef

Abstract

The physicochemical and sensory differences between the PGI-Certified Ternera de Navarra (CTNA) (Spanish origin) and Certified Angus Beef (CAB) (US origin) were assessed in Spain and the USA. To characterize the carcasses, the ribeye areas (REAs), and marbling levels were assessed in both testing places. Twenty striploins per certified beef program were used as study samples. For sensory analysis, the striploins were vacuum packaged and aged for 7 days at 4 °C and 85% RH in each corresponding laboratory. Thereafter, the samples were half cut and frozen. One of the halves was shipped to the other counterpart-testing place. The fat and moisture percentage content, Warner Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF), and total and soluble collagen were tested for all the samples. The CAB carcasses had smaller REAs (p < 0.0001) and exhibited higher marbling levels (p < 0.0001). The CAB striploins had a higher fat content (p < 0.0001) and required lower WBSF (p < 0.05) than the CTNA samples. Trained panelists rated the CAB samples as juicer (p < 0.001), more tender/less tough (p < 0.0001), and more flavorful (p < 0.0001) than the CTNA counterparts. This study shows that beef from both countries had medium-high tenderness, juiciness, and beef flavor scores and very low off-flavor scores. Relevant differences found between the ratings assigned by the Spanish and the US panelists suggest training differences, or difficulties encountered in using the appropriate terminology for defining each sensory attribute. Furthermore, the lack of product knowledge (i.e., consumption habits) may have been another reason for such differences, despite the blind sensory evaluation.

Tenderness of PGI “Ternera de Navarra” Beef Samples Determined by FTIR-MIR Spectroscopy

“…However, the intramuscular fat content showed high variability that may be explained by the differences in the ages of the animals (374 ± 35). The moisture results agreed with those obtained by Beriain et al [ 34 ] and Ripoll et al [ 35 ] for beef from PGI-certified Ternera de Navarra with values ranging from 72.9% to 76.4% and 74.3% to 74.9%, respectively. Regarding the intramuscular fat content, the results in this study were higher than those obtained by Beriain et al [ 34 ] (0.39–1.33%) with animal ages of 366 ± 23 days and those of Ripoll et al [ 35 ] (1.14–1.57%), but still, they can be considered as low intramuscular fat content animals.…”

Effect of Breed and Finishing Diet on Chemical Composition and Quality Parameters of Meat from Burguete and Jaca Navarra Foals

“…The steaks were cooked in a 180 °C pre-heated electric grill (Jata GM3000, Tudela, Spain) inside aluminum foil until they reached an internal temperature of 70 °C [ 56 ], which was measured by a portable probe thermometer (HI-98501, Hanna instruments, Eibar, Spain). Each steak was cut into pieces (10 × 10 × 25 mm), wrapped in aluminum foil and kept in a warmer provided with sand until the analysis was performed.…”

Progress on Nutrient Composition, Meat Standardization, Grading, Processing, and Safety for Different Types of Meat Sources

“…Two state-of-the-art extensive reviews are published on this topic, one [ 1 ] informing on the genetic and nutritional strategies available to enhance the nutritional quality of red meat (168 reviewed papers), and the other [ 2 ] attempting to characterize the quality and nutrient composition of meat produced in the tropics (147 reviewed papers). The original articles that dealt with the nutrient composition of meats and co-products, separately or concurrently with aspects of eating quality, were the results of research carried out in various countries, in different species and environments, including Chile [ 3 ] (the effect of supplementing pigs with brown seaweed on quality traits and nutrient composition of pork), Canada [ 4 ] (the impact of feedlot diets containing various levels of barley on the nutritional quality of Bos taurus beef), Spain and USA [ 5 ] (a comparison of the veal produced by bullock calves in the Pyrenees [PGI-Certified Ternera de Navarra ( CTNA )] and US Angus certified beef), Colombia [ 6 ] (characterization of the lipid profile of visceral fats by-products of chicken), and Venezuela [ 7 ] (multivariate relationships between nutrient composition and carcass characteristics of Bos indicus -type cattle raised on pasture in a tropical environment).…”

“…The potential of carcass traits for assisting in the prediction of beef chemical components was evaluated by Arenas de Moreno et al [ 7 ]. In this study, the authors performed an analysis of hierarchical conglomerates and canonical correlations to explore multivariate relationships between selected traits of the beef carcass derived from cattle fed on tropical pastures and chemical components (proximate, minerals, and lipids) in longissimus lumborum muscle (LL).…”

“…These two distinct marketing strategies have the same purpose: product differentiation. Beriain et al [ 7 ] compared the veal produced by bullock calves in the Pyrenees [PGI-Certified Ternera de Navarra ( CTNA )] to US-CAB. Physicochemical and sensory traits were assessed in Spain (Navarra) and USA.…”