Untrained Consumers Research Articles

Classification of specialty coffees using machine learning techniques

Specialty coffees have a big importance in the economic scenario, and its sensory quality is appreciated by the productive sector and by the market. Researches have been constantly carried out in the search for better blends in order to add value and differentiate prices according to the product quality. To accomplish that, new methodologies must be explored, taking into consideration factors that might differentiate the particularities of each consumer and/or product. Thus, this article suggests the use of the machine learning technique in the construction of supervised classification and identification models. In a sensory evaluation test for consumer acceptance using four classes of specialty coffees, applied to four groups of trained and untrained consumers, features such as flavor, body, sweetness and general grade were evaluated. The use of machine learning is viable because it allows the classification and identification of specialty coffees produced in different altitudes and different processing methods.

Consumer Perceptions of Meat Redness Were Strongly Influenced by Storage and Display Times

Lamb (n = 79) meat colour was scored by 879 untrained consumers using a scale of 0 (brown) to 100 (red). This consumer colour score (CCS) was obtained on m. longissimus lumborum (loin) and m. semimembranosus (topside), stored for short (5–7 days), medium (33–35 days), and long periods (110–112 days) and a retail display time of up to 4 days. Consumers perceived topside to be less red initially and changed from red to brown more rapidly when stored for the long-storage period (p < 0.01). Whereas, the initial CCS of loin samples were similar across the storage periods (p > 0.05). CCS and the instrument measure oxy/met (reflectance of light at wavelengths 630 nm and 580 nm) had a low correlation coefficient of 0.33 (p < 0.01). The propensity for lamb growth and leanness indicated by sire breeding values for lamb weight, eye muscle depth, eye muscle fat depth, and loin intramuscular fat had varied and inconsistent effects on CCS. Therefore, even the selection on CCS.

Effects of dry heat cookery method on beef strip loin steaks of two quality grades following sous vide preparation

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of dry-heat cookery method on beef flavor develop- ment in strip loin steaks from 2 USDA quality grades following sous vide preparation. Beef strip loins were selected from 2 USDA quality grades: upper 2/3 Choice (Modest⁰⁰–Moderate¹⁰⁰) and Select (Slight⁰⁰–Slight¹⁰⁰ marbling, <i>n</i> = 20/grade). Following 21 d of wet aging, strip loins were fabricated into 2.54-cm thick-steaks and randomly assigned to one of 4 dry- heat cookery methods: charbroiler grill (CHAR), clamshell grill (CLAM), convection oven (OVEN), and salamander broiler (SALA). Prior to untrained consumer panel and volatile compound analysis via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, steaks were cooked under sous vide conditions for 1.5 h, then finished on the assigned cookery method. There were no cooking method ×quality grade interactions (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.076) for all consumer traits evaluated. Overall, SALA steaks received higher (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05) ratings by consumers than CLAM steaks for all palatability traits. OVEN steaks had greater scores (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05) than CLAM steaks for juiciness, tenderness, and overall liking but were similar to CLAM steaks (<i>P</i> &gt; 0.05) for flavor. CHAR steaks were similar (<i>P</i> &gt; 0.05) to CLAM steaks for flavor but were rated higher (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05) for tenderness, juiciness, and overall liking. Steaks cooked using the OVEN method produced a greater concentration of lipid-derived volatiles, such as alcohols, aldehydes, and carboxylic acids. In direct contrast, CHAR steaks produced a higher concentration of pyrazines and Strecker aldehydes, which are derived from the Maillard reaction. These data indicate that cookery method, and therefore heat transfer method, has a substantially stronger influence on consumer ratings and flavor development than USDA quality grade in this study when steaks are prepared using sous vide methods.

Finding a Preservative for Homemade Local Beverages in Northern Ghana: The Case of Sobolo, Tiger Nuts Drink and Zim Kom

In northern Ghana, the most famous and preferred locally made beverages are tiger nuts drink, sobolo and zimkom. The main problem associated with these products however, is their short shelf-life when they are kept at ordinary air/ room temperatures as a result of activities of microorganisms which actions are facilitated by conducive atmosphere of the region. The conducive atmosphere coupled with the ‘doomsolization’ of Ghana’s economy almost every other year during when such beverages are in high demand, further exacerbates the problem of storage losses vendors endear. This has very serious negative financial drain on profits since any unfinished often go waste. Presently large scale production is not possible and therefore these vendors cannot enjoy the economy of scale. To aggravate matters, most vendors lack refrigerators; and even for those who own refrigerators, erratic electricity supplies during the dry periods of the year, encounter significant losses too. It was against this background that this study sought to identify suitable preservative for these homemade local beverages in northern Ghana so that when such a preservative is used the products can be stored under ambient temperatures for an extended period of time. Specifically, the study sought to assess the effects of sodium benzoate on the three beverages; to determine the extent of shelf life extension of the beverages due to the benzoate; to establish which concentration level of the benzoate is most effective; and to determine whether respondents would notice the benzoate in beverages. The research design employed was quasi-experimental involving the treatment and observation of samples under various handling and/ or storage conditions. Sufficient quantities of each beverage were procured and two varying concentrations of sodium benzoate solutions prepared for use in the experiments. The shelf life observation technique employed was direct where, taste, smell, colour and appearance. Samples without preservatives were set aside as experimental controls. A total of four different experiments were conducted for a period of twenty six (26) days. The major finding was that using sodium benzoate 1.0 g/1000 ml in non-refrigerated tiger nut drink’s shelf-life was five (5) days maximum; sobolo lasted 22 days whilst zimkom, 15 days. Sensory evaluations of the samples using untrained consumer panel revealed 100% consumer acceptability. The study recommends a dissemination seminar or workshop to be organised to train the beverage vendors on adopting the use of the sodium benzoate preservative to reduce spoilage losses.

Unsupervised classification of specialty coffees in Homogeneous sensory attributes through machine learning

Brazil is the largest exporter of coffee beans, 29% world exports, 15% this volume in specialty coffees. Thereby researches are done, so that identify different segments in the market, in order to direct the end consumer to a better quality product. New technologies are explored to meet an increasing demand for high quality coffees. Therefore, in this article has an objective to propose the use of machine learning techniques combined with projection pursuit in the construction of unsupervised classification models, in a sensory acceptance experiment, applied to four groups of trained and untrained consumers, in four classes of specialty coffees in which they were evaluated sensory characteristics: aroma, body coffee, sweetness and general note. For evaluating classifier performance, in the data with reduced dimension, all instances were used, and considering four groupings, the models were adjusted. The results obtained from the groupings formed were compared with pre-established classes to confirm the model. Success and error rates were obtained, considering the rate of false positives and false negatives, sensitivity and classification methods accuracy. It was concluded that, machine learning use in data with reduced dimensions is feasible, as it allows unsupervised classification of specialty coffees, produced at different altitudes and processes, considering the heterogeneity among consumers involved in sensory analysis, and the high homogeneity of sensory attributes among the analyzed classes, obtaining good hit rates in some classifiers. Key words: Classification models; Data dimension reduction; Groupings identification; Projection pursuit.

Monitoring freshness of chicken breast by using natural halochromic curcumin loaded chitosan/PEO nanofibers as an intelligent package

Intelligent packaging is important to get information about real time quality of foods. The objective of this study was to develop an electrospun nanofiber halochromic pH sensor film using curcumin, chitosan (CS) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) to monitor chicken freshness. Conductivity and rheological behavior of CS/PEO/curcumin solutions were measured to understand the effect of solution properties on the morphology of the fibers. The morphological characteristics of nanofiber films were investigated by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). Average diameter of the fibers was found to be between 283 ± 27 nm and 338 ± 35 nm. It was concluded that increasing CS amount in nanofibers decreased the diameter of the fibers. Thermal analysis and water vapor permeability features of the pH sensor were also examined. Color changes of curcumin loaded CS/PEO nanofiber film was evaluated on chicken breast package at 4 °C. The color of nanofiber film changed from bright yellow to reddish color which provided an opportunity to detect color changes by even the naked eyes of the untrained consumer. As a quality indicator, surface pH changes of the chicken breast and TVB-N (total volatile basic nitrogen) were measured. At the end of the day 5, pH value of 6.53 ±0.08 and TVB-N concentration of 23.45 ±3.35 mg/100 g indicated that food was at the edge of the acceptance level. As a result, curcumin loaded nanofiber satisfied the expectation and gave an opportunity to visualize real time monitoring of chicken spoilage.

Differentiation of potato samples using a modified high identity traits (HITS) method is greater with trained panels than untrained

AbstractThe High Identity Traits (HITS) method allows trained panelists to develop simpler descriptive product profiles that focus on key traits. However, the use of trained panelists requires dedicated resources, so new methods are developed for the use of semitrained or untrained consumer panels. The objective of this study was to determine if an untrained consumer panel could provide similar sensory profiles to a highly trained panel using a modified HITS method. One panel was conducted with six, highly trained panelists and a separate panel was held with six consumers. Each panel evaluated five potato varieties, cooked by mashing, baking, and air‐frying, to develop profiles of up to five HITS per sample. The consumer and trained panels identified some of the same traits but did not develop similar profiles overall. While the highly trained assessors identified complex aroma and flavor traits, the consumers focused mainly on texture, preventing them from finding more subtle product differences.Practical ApplicationsThe results of this study can be used to inform sensory scientists about the best practices for conducting a panel using the High Identity Traits method and questions the use of a consumer panel as a replacement for a trained sensory panel. Understanding what type of panel is recommended for use with each sensory method, especially newly developed methods, is key to producing accurate and repeatable results.

How Does Replacement of Beef with Agushie Impact the Nutritional and Eating Quality of Beef Burgers?

The main research objective was to study the influence of using agushie on proximate composition and eating quality of beef burgers. Cooking yield and pH of burgers produced with or without agushie were also studied. Boneless beef was used as the meat ingredient and portions of the beef were replaced with ground agushie at 0% (control), 13%, 26% and 39% to obtain four treatments namely T1, T2, T3, and T4 respectively. Proximate analysis of the burgers was determined as well as cooking yield, pH and sensory evaluation was by 30 untrained consumers using a 9-point Hedonic scale. Increasing levels of “agushie” significantly (p&lt;0.05) reduced moisture content from 49.49 (T2) to 46.77 (T4) in the burgers. Crude protein contents increased significantly (p&lt;0.05) from T1 (20.49%) to T4 (27.48%). There were significant (p&lt;0.05) differences in fat content with T2 recording the lowest (12.38%). Ash content also increased significantly (p&lt;0.05) from 2.41% (T1) to 3.77% (T4) while the contents of fibre significantly (p&lt;0.05) increased from 0.24% (T1) to 0.98% (T4). There were also significant differences (p&lt;0.05) in pH (6.14 - 6.55) and cooking yield (60.66%-79.06%) from T1 to T4 respectively. Fibre contents increased significantly (p&lt;0.05) with increasing levels of agushie in burgers. Sensory evaluation revealed no significant (p&gt;0.05) differences across treatments for appearance, taste, flavour, juiciness, texture and acceptability. The results suggest that agushie has beneficial potentials in beef burger production at 26% without any adverse effects on nutritional composition and eating characteristics.

Proximate Composition and Consumer Acceptability of Cookies Produced from Water Lily (Nymphaea lotus), Coconut (Cocos nucifera) and Wheat Flour (Triticum aestivum) Flour Composites

The use of wheat flour as a primary ingredient in baked products in tropical countries imposes huge financial strain on local economies, in that governments spend high currency to import wheat into the country due to the fact that it cannot be cultivated locally. The aim of the study was to evaluate the proximate composition and consumer acceptability of biscuits produced from a blend of wheat, water lily and coconut flour. Five different biscuit products were prepared from a composite of wheat, water lily and dried coconut flesh flours using traditional rubbing in method with little modification. The proximate composition of the biscuits was determined using AOAC official methods. Sensory quality characteristics of the biscuits were evaluated by a panel of 50 untrained consumers under the ‘hedonic scale’ measure of 1-9 score points. The data was entered into Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS) version 20. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was carried out to establish effect of partial replacement of the wheat flour with the water lily and/ or dried coconut flesh at 95% confidence interval. The results of proximate composition of the various flour indicated increasing level of protein (g/100 g) , fat (g/100 g) and crude fibre (g/100 g) were 4.41 ± 0.22 to 16.73 ± 0.76, 6.47 ± 0.16 to 19.16 ± 0.16 and 12.54 ± 0.07 to 13.52 ± 0.04, respectively while there was decrease in levels of moisture (g/100 g), ash (g/100 g) and carbohydrate (g/100 g) as the proportion of the composite flour increased; 7.91 ± 0.03 to 10.30 ± 0.21, 0.90 ± 0.10to 4.28 ± 0.24 and 40.89 ± 1.22 to 61.99 ± 0.35, respectively. Sensory evaluation of the biscuits showed a significant difference (p<0.05) among the products. Biscuit sample XYZ (80% wheat, 12% water lily and 8% coconut) was preferred in terms of the overall acceptability.

Measurements meet perceptions: rheology-texture-sensory relations when using green, bio-derived emollients in cosmetic emulsions.

Product aesthetics and sensory performance can strongly influence a cosmetic product's acceptance by consumers. However, classic sensory analysis is time-consuming, expensive and does not provide information on the target group's preference. In the previous phase of this project, we had untrained consumers evaluate six cosmetic emulsions based on their aesthetics using a check-all-that-apply (CATA) survey. In this project, our goals were to quantitatively characterize the rheology and textural properties of the six cosmetic emulsions containing green, bio-derived emollients and identify statistical relationships between the consumers' description of products and the instrumental measurements. Six emulsions were prepared-three with olive oil and three with heptyl undecylenate as an emollient. Four sensory-like attributes, namely firmness, work of shear, stickiness and adhesiveness, were tested using a texture analyser. Rheological characterization included continuous flow testing and oscillatory measurements. Droplet size and stability were also evaluated. Statistical relationships were quantified between measurements in this study and sensory survey results published previously. The textural and rheological results indicated that the emulsions were different-as designed. The texture and rheology measurements had analogous grouping outcomes to the consumers' discrimination. Emulsions 1 and 2 were the firmest, hardest to spread, stickiest and had the highest viscosity, while Emulsions 5 and 6 were the least firm, easiest to spread, less sticky than Emulsions 1 and 2, and had the lowest viscosity. Emulsions 3 and 4 fell in between the other two groups. Using olive oil instead of heptyl undecylenate as an emollient increased firmness, spreading, stickiness, viscosity and droplet size of the emulsions in every case-when comparing emulsions within each pair. All six emulsions had a shear-thinning behaviour. Viscosity and firmness directly correlated for the emulsions. Emulsions were visually stable at room temperature over the course of 6months and viscosity remained relatively constant over this period also. Certain sensory attributes can be reliably predicted with instrumental measurements. Identifying and quantifying sensory-texture-rheology relationships can contribute to achieving appropriate product characteristics tailored to suit market needs.

The role of heat treatment in light oxidation of fluid milk

Light-oxidized flavor (LOF) resulting from photooxidation of riboflavin following light exposure is one of the most common off-flavors in fluid milk. The sensory perception of LOF has been studied extensively in high temperature, short time pasteurized (HTST) milk, but few studies have evaluated ultrapasteurized (UP) milk. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of heat treatment in the development of LOF in UP fluid skim milk. Skim milk was processed by HTST or by direct steam injection (DSI-UP) and subsequently exposed to 2,000-lx light-emitting diode light for various times. Sensory properties were monitored by descriptive analysis and threshold tests, and volatile compounds were evaluated by solid phase microextraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Dissolved oxygen and riboflavin were determined at each time point using an oxygen meter and ultra-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector, respectively. The entire experiment was performed in triplicate. Typical cardboard and mushroom flavors (LOF) were detected by trained panelists in HTST milk after 3.5 h of light exposure. In contrast, LOF was not detected by trained panelists in UP milk until 36 h of light exposure. Similarly, the best estimate threshold for LOF from untrained consumers (n = 101) was higher for DSI-UP milk (61.0 h) than for HTST milk (15.2 h). Milks with LOF were characterized by higher relative abundance of the lipid oxidation compounds hexanal and heptanal. Dissolved oxygen (DO) and riboflavin concentrations decreased with increased light exposure time, and the decrease was slower in UP milk compared with HTST milk. Initial DO concentration was investigated as a possible influence in LOF development because DSI-UP milks had lower initial DO concentrations than HTST milks. However, follow-up evaluations of deaerated HTST milks suggested that DO was not a significant factor in LOF development. These results demonstrate that UP milk is less sensitive to LOF than HTST milk, possibly due to sensory masking effects or antioxidant effects of volatile sulfur compounds. An enhanced understanding of light and storage effects on milks will assist with best practices when transporting and displaying fluid milk products for sale.

Check-if-apply approach for consumers and utilities to communicate about drinking water aesthetics quality

Globally, consumers judge their drinking water through its aesthetic qualities because tastes, odors, and appearances are readily detectable by untrained consumers. Consumer feedback is critical to the water industry for efficient resolution of aesthetic water quality issues, although consumer descriptions of taste and odor issues can sometimes be unfocused or confusing. A user-friendly approach can facilitate consumer communications to utilities in the challenging task of describing drinking water taste and odor issues. The purpose of this study was to develop a list of taste and odor descriptors and test a novel “check-if-apply” approach to describe drinking water quality. The final list contained 28 individual and/or groups of descriptors. 75 participants tested water samples impacted by various tastants or odorants: duplicate samples of chloraminated tap water, tap water with heptanal, tap water with 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), tap water with NaCl, bottled water, and bottled water with CuSO4. Participants used a 9-point hedonic scale (1 = ‘dislike extremely’; 9 = ‘like extremely’) to rate overall liking of each sample, and they used the check-if-apply list to describe the taste or odor. Participants also answered a brief questionnaire and used a 5-point scale (1 = ‘very difficult’; 5 = ‘very easy’) to evaluate their experience using the check-if-apply list. Significant differences were observed in acceptability and sensory profile of samples (p-value <0.05). Tap water with MIB had the lowest acceptability mean score (3.43 ± 1.74), while flavorless bottled water had the highest acceptability mean score (6.23 ± 1.47). ‘Salty’, ‘metallic’, ‘chemical’ and ‘musty/earthy’ were the dominant descriptors for NaCl, CuSO4, heptanal, and MIB, respectively. Most participants (81%) found the check-if-apply list as ‘somewhat easy’ to ‘very easy’ to use (mean = 3.44 ± 1.07) and suggested it as a user-friendly lexicon for consumers and utilities to communicate about water quality.

Research in Beef Tenderness and Palatability in the Era of Big Data

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.

Influence of post-harvest moisture on roasted almond shelf life and consumer acceptance.

The harvest weights of sweet almonds (Prunus dulcis) have significantly increased to meet consumer demand and now exceed processing facility capabilities. Crops are stockpiled for longer periods, increasing the probability of moisture exposure. Wet almonds can be mechanically dried prior to processing; however, it is unclear how this practice influences lipid oxidation, shelf-life, and consumer acceptance. To address this, almonds were exposed to 8% moisture and dried with low heat (ME). Almonds were roasted and stored under accelerated conditions for 12 months and markers of lipid oxidation, headspace volatiles, sensory attributes, and consumer liking were evaluated. At 7 months of storage, light roast ME almonds had higher levels of volatiles related to lipid oxidation than non-moisture exposed almonds (NME) and were significantly higher in oxidized, cardboard and painty / solvent flavors. Although untrained consumers did not show significant preferences between the light roast ME and NME almonds, there were quality losses related to lipid oxidation that trained panelists could detect. Dark roast ME almonds demonstrated significant lipid oxidation by 5 months of storage, indicating they will have a compromised shelf life. Findings also indicate that octanal, nonanal, 2-octenal, and hexanoic acid are good indicators of consumer acceptability. The results of this research illustrate that post-harvest moisture exposure with mechanical drying has a significant effect on the storage quality of roasted almonds and is most pronounced in dark roast products. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaluation of microbial safety knowledge, attitude and practice of street food vendors and consumers in Can Tho City, Vietnam

Street foods have become much more popular in Vietnam. However, the information on the safety of street food sold in Vietnam and food knowledge safety as well as awareness of both Vietnamese vendors and consumers is very limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice in food safety of street food consumers and vendors who volunteered to participate in the study in Can Tho city, Vietnam. This study was conducted in two parts. In the first part, 838 food consumers and 598 food handlers were interviewed via a questionnaire to assess their food safety knowledge and attitude. The second part focused on the observation of the food handling practice of the vendors by means of a checklist. Results indicated that consumers and vendors generally exhibited average food safety knowledge and attitude levels. The consumers and vendors were determined to have higher levels of food safety attitude than knowledge, whilst trained consumers and vendors had better food safety knowledge and attitude compared to untrained consumers and vendors. The observation study showed that the majority of the vendors had unhygienic practice i.e. handled food with bare hands (84.5%), handled money while serving food (92.3%) and without washing hands after handling money (93.3%), etc. These results justify the need for training the vendors about food safety knowledge and practice and further additional studies of street foods and their potential risk of foodborne illness.

Contributions of tenderness, juiciness and flavor liking to overall liking of beef in Europe

This study evaluated the contributions of sensory traits to overall liking in Europe. Perceptions by untrained consumers of tenderness, juiciness, flavor liking and overall liking were determined using the Meat Standards Australia protocols. According to European consumer testing with European beef samples, flavor liking was the most important contributor (39%) to beef overall liking, followed by tenderness (31%) and juiciness (24%) (P < .05; R2 > 0.94). The improvement in tenderness over the last decades may explain the highest contribution of flavor liking nowadays. Flavor liking is therefore the main driver of variability in overall liking. Juiciness is the least robust trait which could be influenced by other traits during consumer perception. For outstanding steaks, each sensory trait should have excellent scores and high contributions to overall liking. For medium cuts, one sensory trait with a low score has the potential to be compensated by other traits with higher scores and more emphasis will be placed on the trait with the lowest perception.

Temperature-time combination effects on aged beef volatile profiles and their relationship to sensory attributes

Beef ageing (in vacuo) for tenderisation and flavour development may be accelerated by favourable temperature-time combinations (TTCs), however the effect of such manipulations on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are generated during cooking, is unknown. We compared VOCs from grilled beef longissimus lumborum muscle samples which had been subjected to different TTCs. The TTCs consisted of combinations of temperatures (~ 3, 5, or 7 °C) and ageing time periods (6, 8, 10 or 12 d); as well as control samples, which were held at 0-2 °C for a total of 14 d. Sensory quality attributes of these same samples were measured by untrained consumer panellists. Generally, it was found that TTCs had negligible effects on grilled beef VOCs and were comparable to controls. Furthermore, many VOCs were significantly related to flavour intensity, flavour liking and overall liking. These findings support the use of TTCs as a viable means to accelerate the rate of beef ageing without compromising quality.

Influence of Demographic Factors on Sheepmeat Sensory Scores of American, Australian and Chinese Consumers.

Along with animal production factors, it is important to understand whether demographic factors influence untrained consumer perceptions of eating quality. This study examined the impact of demographic factors and sheepmeat consumption preferences on eating quality scores of American, Australian and Chinese untrained consumers. M. longissimus lumborum (LL) and m. semimembranosus (SM) were grilled according to sheep Meat Standards Australia protocols and evaluated by 2160 consumers for tenderness, juiciness, flavour and overall liking. Linear mixed effects models were used to analyse the impact of demographic factors and sheepmeat consumption habits on eating quality scores. Consumer age, gender, number of adults in a household and income had the strongest effect on sensory scores (P ≤ 0.05), although, the impact was often different across countries. Frequency of lamb consumption had an impact on sensory scores of American, Australian and Chinese consumers but larger sample sizes in some underrepresented subclasses for Australian and Chinese consumers are needed. Results suggest it is important to balance sensory panels for demographic factors of age, gender, number of adults and income to ensure sensory preferences are accurately represented for these particular populations.

Extending Aging of Beef Longissimus Lumborum From 21 to 84 Days Postmortem Influences Consumer Eating Quality.

Our objective was to determine the effect of extending postmortem aging from 21 to 84 days on consumer eating quality of beef longissimus lumborum. Strip loins were collected from 108 carcasses. The longissimus lumborum muscle was isolated from strip loins and assigned to one of ten postmortem aging periods from 21 to 84 days (7-day increments) and balanced within four anatomical positions within the muscle. Consumer evaluations for tenderness, juiciness, flavor, and overall liking were conducted using untrained consumer sensory panels consisting of 1080 individual consumers, in accordance with the Meat Standards Australia protocols. These scores were then used to calculate an overall eating quality (MQ4) score. Postmortem aging had no effect (P > 0.05) on tenderness, but juiciness, flavor liking, overall liking, and MQ4 declined (P < 0.05) as aging period increased. Samples aged 21 to 42 days were most preferred having greater (P < 0.05) overall liking and greater (P < 0.05) MQ4 scores than samples aged 70 to 84 days postmortem. These results suggest that longissimus lumborum samples should not be wet-aged longer than 63 days to prevent potential negative eating experiences for consumers; however, altering storage conditions, specifically reducing temperature, could potentially allow for longer chilled storage without such negative effects on flavor and overall liking.

Lamb Age has Little Impact on Eating Quality.

There is an industry wide perception that new season lamb has better eating quality than old season lamb. This study aims to identify differences in consumer eating quality scores between two age classes in lamb. Consumer eating quality scores from eight cuts across the carcass were evaluated from new season (NS; n = 120; average age = 240 days) and old season lambs (OS; n = 121; average age = 328 days), sourced from four different flocks. Cuts were grilled (loin, topside, outside, knuckle and rump) or roasted (leg, shoulder, rack) and scored by untrained consumers for tenderness, juiciness, liking of flavour and overall liking. There was no difference in eating quality scores between the two age classes for the loin, leg, shoulder and rack. This was similarly shown in the topside with the exception of juiciness scores where NS lambs were higher than OS lambs. There was also a lack of age difference in the outside with the exception of flock 3 where NS lambs scored higher than OS lambs for all sensory traits. Across all sensory traits, OS lambs received on average 2.8 scores lower for the knuckle and 3.1 scores lower for the rump compared to NS lambs. These results show little difference in eating quality between NS and OS lamb, and highlight the potential to develop high quality OS or “autumn lamb” products, with a similar premium price at retail as NS lambs.