LAUSR

In this study the relationship between sensory evaluation and several objective metrics of beef tenderness was tested. Objective metrics included shear force, sarcomere length, collagen content, myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic protein solubility and particle size analysis. These results were compared to consumer panel scores of tenderness for the same aged beef striploin (longissimus lumborum muscle) samples. There was found to be a significant relationship between sarcomere length, shear force and particle size with tenderness scores. Collagen content and protein solubilities were not associated to tenderness scores (P > 0.05). Sarcomere length contributions for explaining tenderness variation were overlapped by the contributions of shear force (collinearity). Independent models demonstrated that the lower 95% confidence interval of the fitted regression line exceeded 50% acceptance of tenderness when shear force values < 42.6 N and when particle size values < 198 μm. We can recommend these as thresholds for consumer acceptance of beef tenderness, although considerations of sample type, analytical methodology, and consumer demographics should be made prior to their adoption. This provision was based on the variation in tenderness scores evident between individual panellists and experimental striploins. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.