title: Relationships between sensory evaluations of beef tenderness, shear force measurements and consumer characteristics.
abstract: The supply of tender beef is an important challenge for the beef industry. Knowledge about the profile of consumers who are more optimistic or more accurate in their tenderness evaluations is important for product development and beef marketing purposes. Central location tests of beef steaks were performed in Norway and Belgium (n=218). Instrumental and sensorial tenderness of three muscles from Belgian Blue and Norwegian Red cattle was reported. Consumers who are optimistically evaluating tenderness were found to be more often male, less food neophobic, more positive towards beef healthiness, and showed fewer concerns about beef safety. No clear profile emerged for consumers who assessed tenderness similar to shear force measurements, which suggests that tenderness is mainly evaluated subjectively. The results imply a window of opportunities in tenderness improvements, and allow targeting a market segment which is less critical towards beef tenderness.
authors: Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Lynn.VanWezemael@UGent.be.
authors: Lynn
authors: L
authors: Van Wezemael
authors: Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Department of Animal Production, Ghent University, Proefhoevestraat 10, B-9090 Melle, Belgium. Electronic address: Stefaan.DeSmet@UGent.be.
authors: Stefaan
authors: S
authors: De Smet
authors: Nofima, Osloveien 1, NO-1430 Ås, Norway. Electronic address: Oydis.Ueland@nofima.no.
authors: Øydis
authors: Ø
authors: Ueland
authors: Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Wim.Verbeke@UGent.be.
authors: Wim
authors: W
authors: Verbeke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001290:Attitude; D001530:Belgium; D002417:Cattle; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D059022:Food Safety; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D009664:Norway; D012737:Sex Factors; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Beef; Consumer; Sensory; Shear force; Tenderness