Abstract
For decades, research has focused on predicting beef palatability using muscle biochemical traits, and various biomarkers. In these approaches, a precise definition of the variable to predict (tenderness assessed by panelists, untrained consumers, or shear force), and repeatability of the measurements are crucial for creating significant data resources for the derivation of robust predictive models, and rigorous validation testing. This “big data” approach also requires careful definition of traits and transparent principles for data sharing and management. As in other fields, meat science researchers should improve the Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse of data (known as the FAIR principles). Furthermore, with the rapid evolution of new measurement technologies, the traits that they measure must be consistently described, enhancing our ability to integrate these new measurements into existing description systems. For beef, strategic choices have been made in order to consider real consumers’ expectations, not well estimated correctly by lab approaches. This strategy has been successfully developed in Australia, which set up the “Meat Standards Australia” grading scheme, now partly adopted by the beef industry. The ambitions of the International Meat Research 3G Foundation is to develop beef ontology, to set up an international database with a huge number of consumers’ scores related to beef palatability and collected according to standard protocols. The foundation also aims to support the beef industry by offering an international predictive model of beef palatability, flexible enough to take into account any local livestock characteristics or regional consumer specificity. This approach is supported by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), which is promoting development of regulations and norms, technical cooperation and exchange of best expertise and practices. This will substantially improve the transparency of data flow and price signaling between all participants of the value chain, from beef producers through to consumers at retail.
Highlights
Global interest in beef eating quality is not new; concern related to declining consumption—which is a hot topic in the United States, Australia, and Europe—has been present since at least the early 1990s
Research has been mainly focused on instrumental tenderness, since flavor and other components of palatability are difficult to replicate through laboratory approaches
The prediction of beef eating quality has been the subject of active research for decades
Summary
Global interest in beef eating quality is not new; concern related to declining consumption—which is a hot topic in the United States, Australia, and Europe—has been present since at least the early 1990s. Despite a great deal of research or initiatives to control beef eating quality, it is still difficult for the supply chain to guarantee consistent good-quality beef to the consumer. This is one major reason for dissatisfaction, which could influence the decrease in purchase intentions due to unsatisfactory eating experiences. Research has been mainly focused on instrumental tenderness, since flavor and other components of palatability are difficult to replicate through laboratory approaches. While it is understandable, the concentration on tenderness at the expense of other traits—in particular flavor—may have reduced the relevance to consumer satisfaction. Much consumer data indicate that tenderness accounts for 30% or less of the eating experience in, e.g., French (Legrand et al, 2013), Japanese (Polkinghorne, 2007), Irish (McCarthy et al, 2017), and US (O’Quinn et al, 2018) studies
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