RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OFF-FLAVOR DESCRIPTORS AND FLAVOR SCORES IN BEEF FROM CATTLE RAISED ON NATURAL PASTURE

ABSTRACT

The objective of the current study was to determine the relationship between off-flavor descriptors and flavor scores in beef aged for 2 and 21 days from Nguni, Bonsmara and Angus steers raised on natural pasture. Fifteen steers each of Bonsmara and Angus and 25 steers of Nguni were kept at the University of Fort Hare Farm for 12 months until slaughter. The M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum was sampled postmortem for flavor evaluation. There were associations (P < 0.05) between off-flavor descriptors and off-flavor scores, off-flavor descriptors and aroma scores. There were, however, no (P > 0.05) associations between beef from the three cattle breeds and off-flavor descriptors, flavor scores and off-flavor descriptors, aging periods and off-flavor descriptors. It can be concluded that off-flavor description is uniform across breeds and aging periods. Furthermore, off-flavor description is related to off-flavor scores and aroma scores.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Flavor is one of the components of sensory evaluation that affect beef acceptability by consumers. In lean meat, thermal oxidation of long-chain fatty acids occurs, thereby leading to undesirable aroma/flavor formation, which may affect meat palatability. Off-flavors are undesirable and negatively affect the consumers’ decision on purchasing beef. Therefore, flavor evaluation should include off-flavor and its descriptors. Off-flavors develop with aging and it is therefore important to establish when meat should be consumed after slaughter. When examining factors that affect off-flavor production, it may be more beneficial to look at the total number of samples that are detected with off-flavors rather than the sensory off-flavor score only. Establishing relationships between breed, aging, flavor scores and off-flavor descriptors is therefore important in meat production and consumption.