Determination of the effect of brand and product identification on consumer palatability ratings of ground beef patties

Citation: Wilfong, A. K., McKillip, K. V., Gonzalez, J. M., Houser, T. A., Unruh, J. A., Boyle, E. A. E., & O'Quinn, T. G. (2016). Determination of the effect of brand and product identification on consumer palatability ratings of ground beef patties. Journal of Animal Science, 94(11), 4943-4958. doi:10.2527/jas2016-0894The objective of this study was to determine the effect of brand and product identification on consumer palatability ratings of ground beef patties. Six treatments were used in the study: 90/10 Certified Angus Beef (CAB) ground sirloin, 90/10 ground beef, 80/20 CAB ground chuck, 80/20 ground chuck, 80/20 ground beef, and 73/27 CAB ground beef. Ground beef was processed into 151.2-g patties using a patty former with 2 consecutively formed patties assigned to blind consumer testing and the following 2 assigned to informed testing. Following cooking to 74 degrees C, patties were cut into quarters and served to consumers. Consumers (n = 112) evaluated samples in 2 rounds for tenderness, juiciness, flavor liking, texture liking, and overall liking. Each trait was also rated as either acceptable or unacceptable. In the first round of testing, samples were blind evaluated, with no information about the treatments provided to consumers, but in the second round, product type and brand were disclosed prior to sample evaluation. Additionally, texture profile and shear force analyses were performed on patties from each treatment. Few differences were observed for palatability traits during blind consumer testing; however, during informed testing, 90/10 CAB ground sirloin was rated greatest (P < 0.05) for all palatability traits other than juiciness. Also, 90/10 CAB ground sirloin had increased (P < 0.05; (consumer informed score -consumer blind score)/consumer blind score) ratings for tenderness (17.4%), juiciness (36.5%), flavor liking (23.3%), texture liking (18.2%), and overall liking (24.7%) due to brand disclosure. Increased (P < 0.05) ratings were found for CAB products for multiple traits due to treatment disclosure, whereas the only non-CAB-branded product that received increased (P < 0.05) ratings during informed testing was 90/10 ground beef for tenderness and juiciness. Texture results indicated that decreased fat level increased hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness. These results indicate that when sampling ground beef without brand and product information, few consumers find differences in eating quality among ground beef treatments; however, when consumers are aware of the brand, fat level, and subprimal blend prior to sampling, these factors have a large impact on consumer eating satisfaction

Consumer palatability scores and volatile beef flavor compounds of five USDA quality grades and four muscles

Proximate data, consumer palatability scores and volatile compounds were investigated for four beef muscles (Longissimus lumborum, Psoas major, Semimembranosus and Gluteus medius) and five USDA quality grades (Prime, Upper 2/3 Choice, Low Choice, Select, and Standard). Quality grade did not directly affect consumer scores or volatiles but interactions (P < 0.05) between muscle and grade were determined. Consumer scores and volatiles differed (P < 0.05) between muscles. Consumers scored Psoas major highest for tenderness, juiciness, flavor liking and overall liking, followed by Longissimus lumborum, Gluteus medius, and Semimembranosus (P < 0.05). Principal component analysis revealed clustering of compound classes, formed by related mechanisms. Volatile n-aldehydes were inversely related to percent fat. Increases in lipid oxidation compounds were associated with Gluteus medius and Semimembranosus, while greater quantities of sulfur-containing compounds were associated with Psoas major. Relationships between palatability scores and volatile compound classes suggest that differences in the pattern of volatile compounds may play a valuable role in explaining consumer liking

The effect of branding on consumer palatability ratings of beef strip loin steaks

Citation: Wilfong, A. K., McKillip, K. V., Gonzalez, J. M., Houser, T. A., Unruh, J. A., Boyle, E. A. E., & O'Quinn, T. G. (2016). The effect of branding on consumer palatability ratings of beef strip loin steaks. Journal of Animal Science, 94(11), 4930-4942. doi:10.2527/jas2016-0893The objective of this study was to determine the influence of knowing the brand or USDA grade on consumer palatability ratings of beef strip loin steaks. Strip loins were selected to represent 5 USDA grades and brands, USDA Select, Choice, Prime, Certified Angus Beef (CAB; upper 2/3 Choice), and Select, from carcasses of cattle classified as Angus on the basis of phenotype. After 21 d of aging, 2.5-cmthick steaks were cut, consecutively cut steaks were paired for consumer evaluation. Consumer panelists (n = 112) evaluated samples for tenderness, juiciness, flavor liking, and overall liking. Additionally, consumers rated each palatability trait as either acceptable or unacceptable. Samples were fed in 2 rounds on the same day: blind and informed testing. In the first round, blind testing, consumers were served 1 sample from each treatment, with no product information provided. In the second round, consumers were informed of the brand or quality grade prior to sampling. During blind testing, CAB rated similar (P > 0.05) to Choice for all palatability traits; however, CAB rated greater P 0.05) for all traits when tested blind, but Angus Select was rated greater (P 0.05) when brand was disclosed. Brand knowledge increased (P 0.05) in the percentage of Choice and Select samples rated as acceptable for all palatability traits. These data indicate that Prime, CAB, and Angus Select steaks receive an increase in consumer palatability perception, or "brand lift," which does not occur for Choice and Select beef

Effect of extended postmortem aging and steak location on myofibrillar protein degradation and Warner-Bratzler shear force of beef M. semitendinosus steaks

Citation: Phelps, K. J., Drouillard, J. S., Silva, M. B., Miranda, L. D. F., Ebarb, S. M., Van Bibber-Krueger, C. L., . . . Gonzalez, J. M. (2016). Effect of extended postmortem aging and steak location on myofibrillar protein degradation and Warner-Bratzler shear force of beef M. semitendinosus steaks. Journal of Animal Science, 94(1), 412-423. doi:10.2527/jas2015-9862The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of steak location and postmortem aging on cooked meat tenderness and myofibrillar protein degradation of steaks from M. semitendinosus (ST). Following harvest and a 6 d chill period, the left ST was removed from carcasses of crossbred feedlot steers (n = 60, average hot carcass weight 427 +/- 24 kg). Each ST was fabricated into ten 2.54-cm thick steaks originating from the proximal to distal end of the muscle. Steaks cut adjacent to each other were paired, vacuum packaged, and randomly assigned to 7, 14, 21, 42, or 70 d of aging at 2 +/- 1 degrees C. After aging, within each steak pair, steaks were randomly assigned to Warner-Bratzler shear force or myofibrillar proteolysis analysis (calpain activity and desmin and troponin-T degradation). Muscle fiber type and size were also determined at the 2 ends of the muscle. There was no location x d of aging interaction (P = 0.25) for ST steak WBSF. Steak location affected (quadratic, P 0.13). Type I, IIA, and IIX muscle fibers were larger at the proximal end of the muscle than the distal end (P < 0.01). Increasing d of aging improved WBSF (quadratic, P < 0.01) for the duration of the 70 d postmortem period. As d of aging increased, intact calpain-1 activity decreased (quadratic, P < 0.01) with activity detected through 42 d. Day of aging affected autolyzed calpain-1 (linear, P < 0.01) and calpain-2 activity (quadratic, P < 0.01). Through d 70 of aging, the intensity of intact 55 kDa desmin band decreased (linear, P < 0.01), while there was an increase (linear, P < 0.01) in the degraded 38 kDa band. Similarly, d of aging increased troponin-T proteolysis, indicated by a decrease (quadratic, P < 0.01) in intensity of the intact 40 kDa band and an increase (linear, P < 0.01) in the 30 kDa degraded band. Intramuscular WBSF differences are not due to proteolytic activity or myofibrillar degradation and seem related to muscle fiber size. The improvement of ST steak WBSF through 70 d of aging is partly due to continued degradation of desmin and troponin-T. Calpain proteolytic analysis indicates that autolyzed calpain-1 and calpain-2 may be involved in extended postmortem myofibrillar protein proteolysis

Labeling Terms and Production Claims Influence Consumers’ Palatability Perceptions of Ground Beef

The objective of this study was to evaluate consumers’ palatability ratings of ground beef from the same source when provided information about the labeling prior to evaluation. Chubs (n=15) from the same production lot and day of 80% lean/20% fat ground beef were procured and fabricated into 151.2 g patties. Pairs of patties from each chub were randomly assigned to one consumer panel session and to 1 of 8 different labeling terms: all natural, animal raised without added antibiotics (WA), animal raised without added hormones (WH), fresh never frozen (FNF), grass-fed, locally sourced, premium quality, USDA organic (ORG), and a blank sample (NONE). Consumers (N=105) evaluated each sample on 0-to-100-point line scales for tenderness, juiciness, flavor liking, texture liking, overall liking, and purchasing intent and also evaluated each palatability trait as either acceptable or unacceptable. Prior to sample evaluation, the consumers were provided additional labeling information about the ground beef. Consumers found no differences (P&gt;0.05) among the samples with the different labeling terms for tenderness, juiciness, texture liking, overall liking, tenderness acceptability, flavor acceptability, and texture acceptability for all the treatments evaluated. For flavor liking, there was a larger increase (P&lt;0.05) in ratings for samples labeled as grass-fed in comparison with WA, WH, and premium quality–labeled samples. There was a large increase (P&lt;0.05) in the consumer ratings for overall liking when product was labeled as all natural, WA,WH, FNF, locally sourced, premium quality, and ORG. Additionally, there was a larger decrease (P&lt;0.05) in the per-centage of samples rated as acceptable overall when labeled as WA in comparison with all other treatments. These results indicate that adding production claims that consumers are familiar with can improve their palatability perception

Impact of Disclosing Fat Content, Primal Source, and Price on Consumer Evaluation of Ground Beef

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of providing information about the fat content, primal source,and price on consumers’ palatability ratings of ground beef from the same source. Ground beef chubs that were 80% lean/20% fat (n=15/panel type) were obtained, and 151.2 g patties were manufactured from the chubs. Chubs were assigned randomly to panels for 1 of 3 different panel types. The fat content panels had samples labeled as 90% lean/10% fat (90/10), 80% lean/20% fat (80/20), 73% lean/27% fat (73/27), lean, and extra lean. Price point samples were assigned to 1 of 5 different points: ultra-high, high, medium, low, and ultra-low. Primal panel samples were labeled as ground chuck, ground round, ground sirloin, and store ground. Each panel had one sample with no information given (NONE). Samples were evaluated by consumers (N=305), who were informed of the treatment prior to evaluation for tenderness, juiciness, flavor, texture, overall liking, and purchasing intent and rated each trait as acceptable or unacceptable. Labeling ground beef as 90/10, 80/20, and 73/27 resulted in increased (P&lt;0.05) consumer ratings for tenderness, flavor, and overall liking. Informing consumers of the price of the product resulted in increases (P&lt;0.05) for all palatability traits for samples labeled with ultra-high, high, medium,and ultra-low prices. Furthermore, attaching a primal blend label to the samples resulted in an increase (P&lt;0.05) for all the palatability traits evaluated for all 4 primal blend types. Additionally, purchasing intent was increased (P&lt;0.05) for samples when consumers were informed of the price and primal blend. Ultimately, providing consumers with information about the fat content, price, and primal blend type influences their perceived palatability of ground beef

Evaluation of Fresh and Frozen Beef Strip Loins of Equal Aging Periods for Palatability Traits

Although studies evaluating freezing are prevalent, most have used varied postmortem aging times to facilitate study design. The lack of a comprehensive study evaluating equally aged fresh and frozen steaks prevents a true under-standing of the impact of freezing. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the eating quality and consumer perception differences between fresh and frozen beef steaks of 3 equal aging periods. Beef carcasses were selected from a processing plant on 2 kill dates 1 wk apart to allow for a 1-wk freezing period, fabricated, and aged for 21, 28, or 35 d. On the same day, all samples of equal aging periods were fed to consumer and trained sensory panelists, sheared for shear force, and powdered for lab assays. For consumer panels, the first 4 steaks were given with no additional information, whereas the last 4 steaks were served with the labels “previously frozen” or “fresh, never frozen.” The consumer panelists rated the frozen samples as more tender (P&lt;0.05) than the fresh samples but found no other differences (P&gt;0.05). Even when given additional information, the perception of quality was not impacted (P&gt;0.05). Similarly, the trained panelists rated the frozen samples higher (P&lt;0.05) than the fresh counterparts for overall tenderness, but the fresh samples scored higher (P&lt;0.05) for initial and sustained juiciness. Supporting the sensory data, the frozen steaks had lower (P&lt;0.05) shear force values regardless of the aging period. However, the fresh samples resulted in lower (P&lt;0.05) purge and cook loss. Although some meat quality factors were impacted by freezing, the overall eating quality and perception of quality were not negatively impacted. Therefore, frozen meat should not be discounted due to the eating quality or perception of the quality of beef steaks

Change in Myoglobin Denaturation and Physiochemical Properties Among Three Degrees of Doneness and Three Beef Whole Muscles

While the factors impacting raw meat color have been extensively explored, the factors affecting cooked meat color have been largely ignored, leaving a gap in research. Establishing a baseline for the changes that accompany different degrees of doneness (DOD) could serve as the foundation for future studies to further understand what factors are impacting differences in cooked color of whole muscles. Beef strip loins (n=12) and top butts (n=12) were used to evaluate the Longissimus dorsi (LD), Biceps femoris (BF), and Gluteus medius (GM) between 3 DOD: medium rare (62.8°C), medium (71.1°C), and well-done (76.7°C). Immediately after cooking, steaks were sliced, evaluated for L*, a*, b*, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and blended into a powder for lab assays including myoglobin denaturation, metmyoglobin-reducing activity (MRA), surface hydrophobicity, proximate analysis, and lipid oxidation. An additional steak was cooked for shear force and cook loss. As expected, the a* values decreased (P&lt;0.05) and myoglobin denaturation percentages increased (P&lt;0.05) with increasing DOD, while muscle source did not impact (P&gt;0.05) either. Surface hydrophobicity, which is a measure of exposed hydrophobic groups caused by denaturation, increased (P&lt;0.05) with increasing DOD, while MRA decreased (P&lt;0.05) with each DOD. However, the BF and GM muscles resulted in greater (P&lt;0.05) MRA compared to the LD. There was an interaction (P&lt;0.05) for lipid oxidation. As DOD increased past the raw state, differences inoxidation between muscles emerged. While the factors evaluated among the DOD were impacted, muscle type surprisingly affected most assays evaluated as well. This study can serve as a foundational paper to support future cooked color research to further understand what factors impact cooked color and cooked color stability of whole muscle cuts

Evaluation of the Impact of Bone-in Versus Boneless Cuts on Beef Palatability

Palatability traits of ribeye, strip loin, and tenderloin steaks were evaluated in a bone-in versus boneless format.Sensory characteristics of these cuts were also evaluated in 2 quality grade categories; upper 2/3 USDA Choice and USDA Select to evaluate the interactions of marbling level and bone state. Subprimals were collected from both sides of 12 beef carcasses per quality grade and aged for 28 d. Product was fabricated into 2.5-cm-thick steaks and designated for either trained sensory analysis, consumer sensory analysis, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), or fat and moisture determination. Results from trained sensory analysis showed bone-in tenderloins and bone-in ribeyes as more flavorful (P&lt;0.05) than boneless cuts from the same muscle. Bone state had no effect (P&gt;0.05) on trained sensory initial juiciness, myofibrillar tenderness, and overall tenderness scores, or WBSF for any cut. Furthermore, tenderloin samples were rated higher (P&lt;0.05) by trained sensory panelists for myofibrillar and overall tenderness than strip loin and ribeye steaks, which were similar (P&gt;0.05). Bone state had no impact (P&gt;0.05) on consumer tenderness and flavor ratings for any of the 3 cuts.However, bone-in strip loin samples were rated juicier and higher (P&lt;0.05) overall than boneless strip loin steaks by consumers. Tenderloin steaks were juicier, more tender, more flavorful, and rated higher overall (P&lt;0.05) than ribeyes and boneless strip loin steaks by consumers. Moreover, there were no differences (P&gt;0.05) between strip loin and ribeye steaks for flavor liking by consumers and no difference (P&gt;0.05) in overall liking rating between ribeyes and boneless striploin steaks. Overall, bone status had a minimal impact on beef palatability traits, providing evidence that eating quality is not greatly impacted by bone status for any of the cuts evaluated

Quality of Plant-Based Ground Beef Alternatives in Comparison with Ground Beef of Various Fat Levels

The objective of this study was to compare the quality characteristics of current plant-based protein ground beef alternatives (GBA) to ground beef (GB) patties of varying fat percentages. Fifteen different production lots (n = 15/fat level) of 1.36 kg GB chubs of 3 different fat levels (10%, 20%, and 27%) were collected from retail markets in the Manhattan, KS area. Additionally, GBA products including a foodservice GBA (FGBA), a retail GBA (RGBA), and a traditional soy protein–based GBA (TGBA) currently available through commercial channels were collected. Consumers (n = 120) evaluated sample appearance, juiciness, tenderness, overall flavor liking, beef flavor liking, texture liking, and overall liking. Additionally, samples were evaluated for color, texture profile, shear force, pressed juiciness percentage (PJP), pH, and fat and moisture percentage. All 3 GB samples rated higher (P &lt; 0.05) than the 3 GBA samples for appearance liking, overall flavor liking, beef flavor liking, and overall liking by consumers. Similar results were found with trained sensory panelists, which rated the GBA as less (P &lt; 0.05) juicy, softer (P &lt; 0.05), and lower (P &lt; 0.05) for beef flavor and odor intensity and higher (P &lt; 0.05) for off-flavor intensity than the GB. Moreover, the GBA had less (P &lt; 0.05) change in shape through cooking and a lower (P &lt; 0.05) percentage of cooking loss and cooking time than the GB. Also, the GBA all had lower (P &lt; 0.05) shear force and PJP values than the GB. The color of the GBA differed (P &lt; 0.05) from the GB, with the GB samples being more (P &lt; 0.05) red in the raw state. These results indicate that the GBA provide different eating and quality experiences than GB and should thus be considered as different products by consumers and retailers