Abstract
Farmers Market steaks (n = 39 ribeyes, n = 39 top loins, and n = 38 top sirloins) were procured to establish a baseline for palatability characteristics and to compare consumer acceptance of retail steaks (n = 20 ribeyes, n = 20 top loins, and n = 20 top sirloins) to beef sold in niche markets. Palatability was evaluated using Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBS) and consumer sensory panels. No differences (P>0.05) were identified among Farmers Market steaks for WBS values nor between cuts for sensory panel ratings for Farmers Market or retail products. Overall liking and tenderness liking sensory panel ratings were lower (P=0.0493 and P=0.0058, respectively) for steaks from Farmers Markets when compared to retail. Farmers Market ribeyes and top loins were thicker (P=0.0107) than top sirloins. These results will help niche producers understand how their products compare to beef from traditional supermarkets and allow them to identify areas for improvement.
Highlights
Consumer preferences have evolved, and demands for source and production information of their food has increased
A survey by the American Meat Institute and Sealed Air reported that of the 1,360 respondents, 85 percent stated they were interested or somewhat interested in purchasing locally sourced meat and poultry [2]. e Economic Research Service (ERS) reported that consumers’ top reasons for purchasing locally grown foods are freshness, support for the local economy, and taste [3]. e United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service de nes a Farmers Market as “two or more farm vendors selling agricultural products directly to customers at a common, recurrent physical location,” and it maintains a list of markets to assist consumers in locating locally grown products [4]
Farmers Market steaks were found to be thicker (P < 0.0001) than those purchased from retail stores, while no difference (P > 0.05) was seen between source for mean external fat thickness
Summary
Demands for source and production information of their food has increased. Steak measurement and cooking data were analyzed using steak type (ribeye, top loin, or top sirloin) and source (Farmers Market or retail) as main effects, along with their interaction. E mean differences in steak thickness were 0.7, 0.7, and 0.8 cm for top loin, top sirloin, and ribeye steaks, respectively (data not reported in tabular form).
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