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It is well known that the eating quality of lamb is highly affected by feeding systems. The aim of this study was to ascertain acceptability of Uruguayan lamb meat from animals fed on different diets (only pasture-D1, only concentrate-D4 and two combinations of both systems-D3 and D4) by consumers from different European countries (Spain, Germany, United Kingdom and France). One hundred and twenty castrated Corriedale lambs were reared to 28.2 ± 0.8 kg live weight and then thirty lambs were allocated to each diet and reared to 40 kg live weight. Sections of loin were cooked using contact grills until the internal temperature of the muscle reached 72 °C (65 °C in France), cut and then served to consumers. A minimum of 180 consumers per country evaluated overall liking, flavour and tenderness acceptability of lamb from the 4 diets in sessions of 10 consumers using 8-point category scales. Globally consumers preferred lamb fed on concentrate or the combination of concentrate and pasture to lamb fed only on pasture. However, different segments of consumers were identified in each country based on their lamb acceptability. This information contributes to the identification of developing different commercial strategies in relation to the consumer segments found. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Eighty Hereford steers were used to evaluate the effect of finishing diet [A pasture, B pasture plus concentrate (0.6% live weight), C pasture plus concentrate (1.2% live weight), D concentrate] on consumer acceptability of Uruguayan beef in France (FR), United Kingdom (UK), Spain (ES) and Germany (DE). Consumers (200 per country) evaluated overall, tenderness and flavour acceptability of beef (8 point scale 1 'dislike extremely', 8 'like extremely'). FR and UK rated lower acceptability scores for beef from D compared with A, B, and C. ES showed similar results for tenderness, but flavour scores did not differ between A and D. German consumers preferred beef from B and C. Overall, low levels of supplementation on pasture produced beef with the highest consumer acceptability followed by beef from pasture-fed animals. Feeding cattle with concentrate only may not be necessary to satisfy the EU market resulting in more profitable production systems for Uruguayan producers. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A slaughter trial was carried out to identify improved measurement techniques for meat eating and carcass quality in beef. Data on 194 steer and heifer beef cattle from rotational crosses of Aberdeen Angus and Limousin were available. Meat eating quality characteristics measured were sensory traits (tenderness, flavour, juiciness and abnormal flavour, 14 days post mortem (pm)), instrumental tenderness (slice shear force, 3 days pm; Volodkevitch 10 days pm), fatty acid profiles (saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, 48 h pm), colour (48 h pm) and cooking loss (14 days pm). Visible and near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (Vis-NIR) measurements were taken in the abattoir on the M. longissimus thoracis between 12th/13th ribs at 48 h pm over the spectral range from 350 to 1,800 nm. Partial least square regression was used for prediction of meat eating quality traits from Vis-NIR spectra. Measurements of Vis-NIR showed correlations with sensory traits of 0.45 (juiciness) to 0.77 (flavour), physical measurements of 0.61 (Volodkevitch) and 0.74 (slice shear force), fatty acids in the range from 0.49 to 0.80, colour of 0.93 (red-green) to 0.95 (yellow-blue) and cooking loss of 0.60. The results indicate that based on the measurements of Vis-NIR spectra online in the abattoir, it was possible to successfully predict numerous (mostly lowly correlated) meat quality characteristics. This shows the high variation in absorption at different Vis-NIR wavelengths due to factors such as muscular fibre characteristics, chemical bonds and colour, which are associated with various meat quality characteristics. Generally, the results support the use of on-line Vis-NIR in the abattoir for early, fast and relatively inexpensive estimation of beef meat quality and its use in value based marketing systems and genetic improvement programmes.

The amount and fatty acid (FA) composition of beef intramuscular fat (IMF) are key factors that influence technological and sensory quality, especially shelf-life (lipid and pigment oxidation) and flavour. Furthermore, consumers are interested in the fat composition of meat, as nutritional guidelines are recommending a lower saturated FA (SFA) intake due to its association with cardiovascular diseases. The amount and composition of ruminant IMF, which depends on factors such as the genetic origin of the animals, feeding regime, age or live weight, influences the final quality of the product, which also explains the increasing interest in defining the FA profile of meat. However, quantitative chemical techniques for the determination of FA involve extraction of total lipids and determination of FA methyl esters by gas chromatography, so that this procedure is costly, time-consuming and generates hazardous waste. The use of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIR) is increasing in food analysis because it offers several advantages over conventional methods, giving fast, non-destructive, clean and cost effective measurements. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test the on-line estimation of the concentration of major individual FA (C16:0, C18:0 and C18:1) and main groups of FA (SFA, monounsaturated FA (MUFA) and polyunsaturated FA (PUFA)) of beef IMF using NIR, by direct application of a fibreoptic probe to the M. longissimus thoracis with no prior sample treatment.

The aim of this study was to assess the on-line implementation of visible and near infrared reflectance (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy as an early predictor of beef quality traits, by direct application of a fibre-optic probe to the muscle immediately after exposing the meat surface in the abattoir. Samples from M. longissimus thoracis from 194 heifers and steers were scanned at quartering 48 h postmortem over the Vis-NIR spectral range from 350 to 1800 nm. Thereafter, samples from M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum were analysed for colour (L*, a*, b*; 48 h postmortem), cooking loss (14 days postmortem), instrumental texture (Volodkevitch, 10 days aged meat; slice shear force, 3 and 14 days aged meat) and sensory characteristics. Vis-NIR calibrations, tested by cross-validation, showed high predictability for L*, a* and b* (R-2 = 0.86, 0.86 and 0.91; SECV = 0.96, 0.95 and 0.69, respectively). The accuracy of Vis-NIR to estimate cooking loss and instrumental texture ranged from R-2 = 0.31 to 0.54, suggesting relatively low prediction ability. Sensory characteristics assessed on 14 days aged meat samples showed R 2 in the range from 0.21 (juiciness) to 0.59 (flavour). Considering the subjective assessment of sensory characteristics the correlations of Vis-NIR measurements and several meat quality traits in the range from 0.46 to 0.95 support the use of on-line Vis-NIR in the abattoir. Improvement of predictability was achieved if only extreme classes of meat characteristics have to be predicted by Vis-NIR spectroscopy.

Visible and near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (Vis-NIR) has been widely used by the industry researchbase for large-scale meat quality evaluation to predict the chemical composition of meat quickly and accurately. Meat tenderness is measured by means of slow and destructive methods (e.g. Warner-Bratzler shear force). Similarly, sensory analysis, using trained panellists, requires large meat samples and is a complex, expensive and time-consuming technique. Nevertheless, these characteristics are important criteria that affect consumers’ evaluation of beef quality. Vis-NIR technique provides information about the molecular bonds (chemical constituents) and tissue ultra-structure in a scanned sample and thus can indirectly predict physical or sensory parameters of meat samples. Applications of Vis-NIR spectroscopy in an abattoir for prediction of physical and sensory characteristics have been less developed than in other fields. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test the on-line Vis-NIR spectroscopy for the prediction of beef quality characteristics such as colour, instrumental texture, water holding capacity (WHC) and sensory traits, by direct application of a fibre-optic probe to the M. longissimus thoracis with no prior sample treatment.

The acceptability of beef from Uruguay (UY), based on eating quality, was compared with beef produced in different European countries (Germany, DE, Spain, ES and United Kingdom, UK). Consumer tests were conducted in DE, ES and UK (each comprising 200 consumers) using 'Hall Tests'. In each country four samples were evaluated, two from Hereford steers from UY (finished at 2 and 3 years) and two from local meat (the same meat sample aged 7 or 20 d). Consumers evaluated tenderness, flavour and overall acceptability using 8-point category scales. Hierarchical cluster analysis, highlighted the existence of different clusters of consumers. Two main clusters were identified in DE and UK. The main cluster identified in DE, was labelled as Prefer foreign-imported beef (n = 128). These consumers preferred (P < 0.05) the samples from UY_2y in terms of tenderness and overall acceptability. The other cluster was labelled as Prefer local beef in terms of flavour and overall acceptability (P < 0.05) and comprised the majority of consumers from ES (n = 176) and UK (n = 153) and the cluster 2 from DE (n = 69). UK, cluster 2 (n = 33) that did not discriminate between origin and ageing time of beef. These results indicate that consumers did not prefer the same type of meat within the same country and it is possible that there are individual preferences that could lead to the concept of market segmentation being based on taste preferences. It would appear that Uruguayan beef would be very acceptable in Germany and to a lesser extent in Britain and Spain, although further studies are required that include labelling information. © 2006.

In the present study German (DE), Spanish (ES) and British (UK) consumers' acceptance of lamb from their own country compared to lamb from Uruguay (UY) was evaluated. Two-hundred consumers in each country evaluated tenderness, flavour and overall acceptability of four types of lamb, two from UY (light and heavy lambs aged 20 d) and 2 local (with two ageing times, 7 and 20 d). In each country 1.5 cm-thick slices of lamb were evaluated by previously selected consumers in controlled conditions. DE and UK consumers showed significantly (P < 0.05) different acceptability scores between samples, the lamb from heavier animals and aged 20 d being the most appreciated. On the other hand the majority of the ES consumers significantly (P < 0.05) preferred the meat from lighter lambs. Production systems, cultural aspects and consumption habits seem to affect the acceptability of the lamb to the consumers. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights resreved.

The fatty acid composition of commercial lambs from different production systems of Spain, Germany, United Kingdom and of two types of Uruguayan lambs (heavy and light) was studied. Concentrate fed lambs, as Spanish lambs, displayed the highest proportions of linoleic acid (C182), while Uruguayan lambs, reared under extensive grazing conditions, showed the highest proportions of linolenic acid (C183), due to the great concentration of this fatty acid in grass. German and British lambs, which were fed grass and concentrate, displayed intermediate proportions of linolenic acid (C183). Heavy Uruguayan lambs had higher intramuscular fat content (5.92%) than German (4.25%) and British (4.32%) lambs, and this content was twofold higher than light lambs (Spanish (2.41%) and light Uruguayan (3.05%)). Heavy Uruguayan, German and British lambs had a low polyunsaturated/saturated (P/S) ratio due to their high saturated fatty acid (SFA) content and proportion. Principal component analysis was performed to study the relationship between fatty acids. Spanish lambs were clearly separated from the other types and were situated close to the proportions of short chain and n - 6 fatty acids and n - 6/n - 3 ratio in the data plot for fatty acid proportions. Light Uruguayan lambs were located close to long chain fatty acids, and heavy Uruguayan and British lambs were placed near the antithrombotic potential (ATT), stearic acid (C180), SFA and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) proportions. German lambs were located between Spanish lambs and the other types. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.