Consumer thresholds for establishing the value of beef tenderness.

In the present study, a national consumer evaluation was conducted for beef tenderness on USDA Select strip loin steaks of known Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) force values, ranging from tough (> 5.7 kg) to tender (< 3.0 kg), and to assess the monetary value that consumers place on tenderness by determining the average price a consumer would pay for a steak in three tenderness categories. Three supermarkets in each of five metropolitan areas (Baltimore, MD/Washington D.C.; Chicago, IL; Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Los Angeles, CA; and Lubbock, TX) were selected to represent a wide range of income, education, and ethnicity at each city. Five trained research teams traveled to the cities to collect data during the same 10-d period. Consumers (n = 734; minimum of 15 consumers/panel, three panels/store, three stores/city, five cities) were asked to evaluate samples from each tenderness classification (tender, intermediate, or tough) for overall and tenderness acceptability, overall quality, beef flavor, juiciness, tenderness, how much they would pay for the steak ($17.14, 14.28, or 10.98/kg), if they would pay more than current market price if guaranteed tender, and to estimate the number of meals in a 2-wk period that included beef. The consumers were 52% light beef users, consuming 0 to 8 meals containing beef in 2 wk, 41% heavy beef users (greater than 12 meals/2 wk), and 6% moderate beef users (9 to 12 meals/2 wk). Consumer tenderness acceptability increased as WBS values decreased (P < 0.05). The transition in consumer perception from tender to tough beef occurred between 4.3 and 4.9 kg of WBS based on > or = 86% consumer acceptability. Consumer acceptability for tenderness decreased from 86% at 4.3 kg for a "slightly tender" rating to 59% at 4.9 kg for a "slightly tough" rating. Data from the present study suggested that consumer WBS tenderness values of < 3.0, 3.4, 4.0, 4.3, and > 4.9 kg would result in 100, 99, 94, 86, and 25% customer satisfaction for beef tenderness, respectively. Seventy-eight percent of the consumers would purchase steaks if the retailer guaranteed them to be tender. The retail steak value differences found in this study would result in the opportunity for a premium to be paid for a guaranteed tender (< 3.0 kg WBS value) carcass of $76.26 vs the toughest (> 5.7 kg) classification. A premium of $66.96 could be paid to the tender classification carcasses vs the tough (> 4.9 kg) classification carcasses, and a premium of $36.58 could be paid for the tender classification carcasses vs the intermediate (> 3.0 to < 4.6 kg) classification carcasses. Results from the present study show that consumers can segregate differences in beef tenderness and that consumers are willing to pay more for more-tender beef.

Restaurant consumer acceptance of beef loin strip steaks tenderized with calcium chloride.

Beef strip loins from either the right or left side of 22 carcasses of Bos indicus-type steers were injected with 200 mM calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution at 5% (wt/wt) to determine its effect on tenderness and other selected quality traits of steaks. Loins from opposite sides of the carcasses were untreated and served as the control. The steaks were evaluated for tenderness, juiciness, flavor intensity, tenderness acceptability, and overall acceptability by 62 restaurant consumers over a 6-wk period. The CaCl2 injection improved (P < .05) tenderness and flavor intensity ratings by the restaurant consumers. Tenderness acceptability and overall acceptability were improved 23 and 17%, respectively, by the CaCl2 injection. Flavor was not compromised by the CaCl2 injection. The CaCl2-treated steaks were rated superior(P < .05) for flavor compared to the control steaks. Restaurant consumers preferred the beef loin strip steaks injected with 200 mM CaCl2 at 5% (wt/wt). The results of this study are interpreted to indicate that, from a restaurant consumer perspective, CaCl2 injection is an acceptable means of making beef a more consistently tender product.

Effect of beef tenderness on consumer satisfaction with steaks consumed in the home and restaurant.

Loin steaks were eaten by 67 consumers over a 15-wk period (n = 739 consumer observations) to determine the consumer acceptability of beef tenderness in the home and a "white table cloth" restaurant. Steaks were rated for tenderness, juiciness, flavor, and overall palatability on an 8-point scale. The acceptability levels for tenderness were established based on Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) force values, tenderness ratings, and a chisquare analysis of the judgment of tenderness and overall acceptability by the same consumers in both the home and restaurant. Results based only on observations from consumers in Lubbock, TX indicated that the beef industry should target production of beef steaks that have a Warner-Bratzler shear force value of 4.1 kg or less to ensure high levels (98%) of consumer acceptability. Results suggest that an acceptable level of beef tenderness for consumers can be determined and WBS values can be used as criteria for determining which steaks will be considered acceptably tender to consumers before distribution to retail outlets. The beef industry needs to conduct a nationwide research study to determine whether the results from this study will apply to all U.S. beef consumers.