Consumer Sensory Perception of Lamb and Sheepmeat

Summary

This Trial was conducted to explore issues associated with consumer sensory perception of Lamb and Sheepmeat. Key questions related to the degree of consumer satisfaction across the range of Sheepmeat available, to the sensory factors which contributed to that satisfaction and the feasibility of creating a consumer standards based grading system.

The results demonstrate that consumers do have a consistent view relating to Lamb and Sheepmeat eating quality, which can be estimated by weighting principal sensory variables. A score, calculated by combining consumer Tender, Flavour liking, Juiciness and Overall satisfaction scores, has been derived statistically. This has been designated CSEQ, an abbreviation for Clipped Sheepmeat Eating Quality.

The CSEQ score provides a good fit against the results obtained from testing 360 Sydney consumers. Each consumer tested seven Lamb or Sheepmeat samples with 180 consumers served grilled product and 180 roast product. A very detailed sensory Protocol was developed which ensured a full range of samples were provided to each consumer and that variables were either reduced or balanced to ensure a reliable result.

Optimum CSEQ scores were also derived to define the division paints between Unsatisfactory and three further quality grades ranging from 'Good Everyday Quality' to 'Premium'.

A large amount of production information was recorded for each cut tested with all data stored in specially created electronic databases. These may form a base Consumer Sensory Perception of from which to add data generated by future Trials. All Protocols developed for this Trial are well documented and provided to assist in future development.

Several problems relating to the sheep supplied restricted analysis opportunities as to the 'cause and effect' issues in relation to eating quality although such analysis would in any event have been limited on a sample of 120 sheep.

The data is' sufficient however to confidently state that a satisfactory Prediction Model could be developed to estimate CSEQ across cooking methods and cuts from a wide range of carcasses. To achieve this objective considerably more product would need to be tested to create sufficient analytical depth across all muscles, sheep types, cooking methods and processing treatments.

Such a model would provide a unique basis from which to guarantee a consistent and reliable product to consumers.

The traditional testing approach of objective measurement was also evaluated on a subset of product. There was a negative relationship between objective peak force and sensory dimensions, although the accuracy was not sufficient to be useful to predict sensory outcomes. Given that a large portion of the sensory score relates to flavour rather than tendemess it is perhaps not surprising that the results are not convincing as a consumer surrogate.

The data generated from the trial is provided in electronic format. The Appendix contains Attachments which define the database formats in detail.

A large number of recommendations are also made to facilitate planning,management and execution of future work.

An important recommendation is that any future Trial program be developed and managed by a specialist Sheep industry team with a combination of extensive industry experience and scientific expertise.