Abstract
Supplying beef with consistent eating quality to consumers is vital to the beef industry. We investigated the relationship between eating quality and biochemical measurements, intramuscular fat (IMF), moisture content and heme iron. Six cuts (striploin, outside, rump, tenderloin, oyster blade and the topside) from 18 French cattle were grilled, medium or rare. In total 540 untrained French consumers rated the steaks for tenderness, flavour, juiciness and overall liking, according to MSA protocols. These scores were combined on a weighted basis (0.3, 0.3, 0.1, 0.3 respectively) to make a score called MQ4. The sensory scores were analysed using a mixed linear model with cut, age and country included as fixed effects, and animal ID as a random term. The biochemical measurements were then incorporated one at a time as covariates into the model, as well as their interactions with all fixed effects to assess their association with the sensory scores. IMF (range 0.23-9% wet matter) had a positive, linear, relationship with flavour and overall liking (magnitude of effect 6.08 and 5.94 across the IMF range). Moisture content (range 70-77% wet matter) had a negative, linear, relationship with flavour and overall liking (magnitude of effect 6.35 and 6.15 across the moisture content range). When together in the same model, both remained significant implying that moisture content has a relationship with eating quality beyond its con·elation with IMF. All other relationships were not significant. The effect of IMF is smaller than that seen by Pannier et al. in Iamb striploin (10.1, 9.1), but slightly larger than lamb topside (6.6, 5.4).