The beef industry isn’t just asking “Where’s the beef?” anymore, but “How’s your beef?” Elanco Animal Health says research shows consumers spend more for tender and tasty beef.
Consumers tell us that tenderness and taste are two of the most important attributes when they are evaluating their beef eating experience. They want tender beef and are willing to pay for it.
That was the message Dr. Keith Belk, professor at Colorado State University’s Center for Red Meat Quality and Safety, delivered to agricultural editors and other participants at a Sensory Evaluation Briefing and Wet Lab held at Iowa State University. The training session was hosted by Elanco Animal Health as part of its continuing effort to educate beef producers on the importance of tenderness of the beef they produce.
Tenderness is an important aspect of beef palatability that ultimately drives consumer satisfaction. The Beef Checkoff’s 2005 National Beef Tenderness Survey shows the industry has made improvements since the 1999 study, but there still are inconsistencies and a need for improvement.
A key factor in beef tenderness is the aging process. Most experts agree beef becomes more tender when it is aged about 21 days. However, according to a number of meat industry experts – including the University of Minnesota Extension department – most of the beef offered for sale as retail cuts in the supermarket is aged five to seven days. Rarely is beef in the retail case aged more than 10 to 14 days.
Aging isn’t the only factor driving beef tenderness. “Quality grades and marbling itself have become extremely important,” says Belk. “Prime and upper two-thirds of Choice-branded beef are in high demand and are returning larger profits back through the production chain. That’s the signal consumers
are sending to us. An excellent example of that is the success that Certified Angus Beef LLC® (CAB®) is experiencing.”
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