STUDIES ON BEEF EATING QUALITY IN RELATION TO THE CURRENT CANADA GRADE CLASSIFICATIONS

The eating quality, cooking losses and chemical composition of semitendinosus (ST) and longissimus dorsi (LD) roasts from 48 young steers weighing 475–513 kg and representing Canada Grade A1 to A4, B1 and an unofficial grade of A1X (dairy-type) beef carcasses were determined. There was a tendency for Grade A4 and A1X ST and LD samples to be higher in percent fat (ether extract) than comparable samples from the other grades. In spite of fat differences in the muscles among grades, subjective evaluation of the eating quality of the roasts by a trained panel indicated that ST and LD roasts from all of the grades were acceptable and quite similar. However, judges did note the presence of larger amounts of fat in those beef samples which contained greater amounts of chemically determined fat (A4, A1X). Consumer panel judgements of ST roasts were similar to those of the trained judges. Objective measurements of juiciness (water-holding capacity) and tenderness (Warner Bratzler shear. Kramer shear) for ST and LD roasts supported the findings from sensory evaluation. Cooking losses for ST and LD roasts did not appear to be affected by grade. These studies provide evidence that the cooking and eating quality characteristics of beef from the various categories of the A grade, from the B1 grade and from the unofficial A1X (dairy-type) grade were similar and that all the beef was acceptable.