Effect of finishing diet on consumer acceptability of Uruguayan beef in the European market.
Eighty Hereford steers were used to evaluate the effect of finishing diet [A: pasture, B: pasture plus concentrate (0.6% live weight), C: pasture plus concentrate (1.2% live weight), D: concentrate] on consumer acceptability of Uruguayan beef in France (FR), United Kingdom (UK), Spain (ES) and Germany (DE). Consumers (200 per country) evaluated overall, tenderness and flavour acceptability of beef (8 point scale: 1 'dislike extremely', 8 'like extremely'). FR and UK rated lower acceptability scores for beef from D compared with A, B, and C. ES showed similar results for tenderness, but flavour scores did not differ between A and D. German consumers preferred beef from B and C. Overall, low levels of supplementation on pasture produced beef with the highest consumer acceptability followed by beef from pasture-fed animals. Feeding cattle with concentrate only may not be necessary to satisfy the EU market resulting in more profitable production systems for Uruguayan producers.
Realini
C E
CE
IRTA, Monells, Finca Camps i Armet E-17121 Monells (Girona), Spain.
Font I Furnols
M
M
IRTA, Monells, Finca Camps i Armet E-17121 Monells (Girona), Spain.
Guerrero
L
L
IRTA, Monells, Finca Camps i Armet E-17121 Monells (Girona), Spain.
Montossi
F
F
INIA, Carretera de la Coruña km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Campo
M M
MM
University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
Sañudo
C
C
University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
Nute
G R
GR
Division of Farm Animal Science, School of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford BS40 5DU, United Kingdom.
Alvarez
I
I
INIA, Tacuarembó, Ruta 5 km 386 C.P. 45000 Tacuarembó, Uruguay.
Cañeque
V
V
INIA, Tacuarembó, Ruta 5 km 386 C.P. 45000 Tacuarembó, Uruguay.
Brito
G
G
INIA, Carretera de la Coruña km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Oliver
M A
MA
IRTA, Monells, Finca Camps i Armet E-17121 Monells (Girona), Spain.