Consumer Acceptance and Value of Beef from Various Countries of Origin

steaks with slight marbling, even when tenderness was held constant. The following research was conducted to determine sensory differences and consumer value of domestic grain-fed beef steaks compared to steaks from grass-fed beef in Australia and grain-fed beef in Cananda. Procedure Steak Preparation Fresh (unfrozen) Australian grass-fed and Canadian AAA beef strip loins (IMPS #180) were purchased from a beef importing company and domestic strip loins were purchased from a commercial meat plant in Nebraska. Two pairs of loins were compared by each taste panel: 1) Australian grass-fed versus domestic and 2) Canadian versus domestic. To the extent possible , steaks were paired to similar Warner-Bratzler tenderness scores and visual marbling scores to reduce variation within the pair. The aging period varied for each category, due to shipping. The aging period for this study was defined as the time from the vacuum packing date to the date the steaks were frozen for storage. The domestic strip loins were aged for 8 to 11 days to simulate the average storage time of fresh beef from the packing plant to the meat counter. The Australian grass-fed strip loins were aged the longest, for 67 to 73 days. The Canadian strip loins were aged for 24 days. Although the aging times were not consistent, they do reflect actual periods of aging available for these products in the marketplace. The strip loins were cut into one-inch thick steaks. The first steak was used for marbling score and proximate analysis. The second steak from the anterior end of the loin was used to determine Warner-Bratzler shear value. The third and fourth steaks were evaluated by the taste panels. The remaining steaks were sold in an auction, in which the consumers could participate. After cutting, the steaks were stored in a-8°F freezer. The steaks were shipped frozen via airmail to the host facilities in Denver and Chicago. Auction Procedures Immediately before the panel, panelists received a $50 participation payment, which the panelists could use to bid on steaks they tasted. Panelists were not required to bid. However, if panelists chose to bid and won a non-practice auction , the panelist was required to pay for the beef. A dialogue explaining the auction procedure was read. Steaks, approximately one pound, which the panelists bought, were taken from the same strip loin as the taste sample. A reference price of $7/lb was given prior to auctions. One steak …