6/25/25 Relationships Between Descriptive Beef Flavor Attributes and Consumer Liking Thanks to our Sponsor RHONDA MILLER, PH.D., TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY 68 th RECIPROCAL MEAT CONFERENCE 68 th RECIPROCAL MEAT CONFERENCE Outline Why is Beef Flavor Important Introduction Whole Muscle Beef Flavor Lexicon Use of the Beef Flavor Lexicon Heavy beef eaters Light beef eaters Consumer perceptions of beef flavor Relationships between flavor attributes and consumer Millennial and Non-Millennial consumers Conclusions Consumers have indicated that flavor is an important aspect of beef demand (NCBA) Beef flavor is complicated as it is impacted by: Lean component Lipid component Heat effects Meillard reactions between reducing sugars and amino acids Fatty acid and phospholipid composition Lipid oxidation and heat denaturation Level of heat applied and degree of doneness Data will be presented from 4 Beef Check-off Funded projects from 29 to 24 Whole muscle beef flavor lexicon (Adhikari et al. 2) Relationships of beef flavor descriptors and volatile flavor aromatics (Miller and Kerth, 22; Aquirre et al., 24; Laird et al., 24) Relationship between beef flavor descriptors and heavy beef eaters (Miller et al., 23; Glascock, 24) Relationship between beef flavor descriptors and light beef eaters (Miller et al., 24; Luckemeyer et al. 25) The Lexicon Adhikari et al. (2) Major notes Spoiled Beef Identity Warmed-Over Brown/Roasted Animal Hair Bloody/Serumy Dairy * Liver-like Cocoa * Green-hay Green Overall Chemical Leather * Burnt Dairy * Aromatics * Rancid Cooked Milk * Other notes Smoky charcoal, Smoky wood, Buttery, Refrigeratorstale, Soapy, Barnyard, Heated oil, Asparagus, Cumin, Floral, Beet, and Petroleum-like Compare Light and Heavy beef eaters that are millennial and non-millennials *Aroma only
6/25/25 Lexicon Examples Attribute Definition References Beef Identity Brown/Roasted Bloody/Serumy Amount of beef flavor identity in the sample A round, full aromatic generally associated with beef suet that has been broiled An aromatic associate with blood on cooked meat products Swanson s Beef Broth = 5. 8% Lean Ground Beef = 7. Beef Suet (broiled)= 8.5 8% Lean Ground Chuck = Select strip steak = 5.5 Beef brisket = 6. Relationships of beef flavor descriptors and volatile flavor aromatics (Miller and Kerth, 22; Aquirre et al., 24; Laird et al., 24) Cuts Top Choice and Select top loin steaks High ph top loin steaks (ph >6.) Top Choice and Select top sirloin steaks Top Choice and Select flat iron steaks Top Choice and Select bottom round roasts Internal cooked temperature endpoints: 58, 7, or 82 C (37, 58 or 76 F Cook methods Steaks: George Foreman Precision Grill set at 375 o F or Serrated gas grill at 45 F. Roasts: standard gas oven at 325 F crock-pot with liquid and cooked on low. Partial least squares regression bi-plot using beef flavor attributes and volatile aromatic compounds. -(acetyloxy)- 2- Propanone 2-Decanone 2-pentyl-4,5- Liver-like dimethyloxazole -Heptanol (-butylhexyl)- Benzene t 3-ethyl-2,5- dimethyl- dimethyl Trisulfide 2-methyl- Butanal 2,5-dimethyl- - - What Flavors do Moderate to Heavy Beef Eaters Like? High ph top loin steak grill 76 High ph top loin steak George foremen 76 High ph top loin steak grill 37 High ph top loin steak George foreman 37 Select bottom round roast crockpot 37 Select bottom round roast crockpot 76 Choice bottom round roast crockpot 76 Choice bottom round roast crockpot 37 Select top sirloin steaks George Foreman 37 Select top sirloin steaks George Foreman 76 Select top sirloin steaks Grill 37 Select top sirloin steaks Grill 76 Choice top loin steaks George Foreman 37 Choice top loin steaks George Foreman 76 Choice top loin steaks Grill 37 Choice top loin steaks Grill 76 Measured Expert, trained beef flavor descriptive attribute panel using the Beef Lexicon Consumer overall, flavor, beef, grill Volatile aromatic compounds Chemical attributes on raw: fatty acids, ph, myoglobin, non-heme iron, lipid/moisture % Principal component analysis of trained descriptive flavor attributes, cooking treatments and consumer for heavy beef eaters - Correlations on axes t and Overall HpH TLoin, Gr, 76 F Warmed Over Flavor Se BR, CP, 76 F Ch BR, CP, 76 F Ch TLoin, Gr76 F Ch TButt, Gr, 76 F Buttery Ch TLoin, GF, 76 F Beef Intensity Liver-like HpH TLoin, GF, 76 F Overall Liking HpH Tloin, Ch TLoin, Gr, 37 F Ch TButt, GF, 76 F Gr, 37 F Aromatic Musty Ch TLoin, GF, 37 F HpH TLoin, Ch TButt, Gr, 37 F Ch BR, CP, 37 F GF, 37 F Medicinal Se BR, CP, 37 F Ch TButt, GF, 37 F Milk - t Grill Intensity Off Intensity Flavor Liking Beef Liking 2
F2 (22.74 %) PC 2-8% 6/25/25 Alkane Overall Consumer Like Variables (axes F and F2: 59.38 %) Alcohol Likely Meillard Products to Likely Lipid Product Ratio Alkene Acid Likely Lipid Products Ketone Benzene Liver-like furan Sulfur Nitrogen contain containing Likely Meillard Product Aldehyde High ph top loin grill 76 High ph top loin George foremen 76 High ph top loin grill 37 High ph top loin George foreman 37 What Flavors do Light Beef Eaters Like? Select bottom round roasts crockpot 37 Select bottom round roasts crockpot 76 Choice bottom round roasts crockpot 76 Choice bottom roaund roasts crockpot 37 Select top butt George Foreman 37 Select top butt George Foreman 76 Select top butt Grill 37 Select top butt Grill 76 Choice top loin George Foreman 37 Choice top loin George Foreman 76 Choice top loin Grill 37 Choice top loin Grill 76 - - F (36.64 %) Choice Tenderloin Grill 37 Choice Tenderloin Grill 76 Choice Tenderloin George Foreman 37 Choice Tenderloin George Foremen 76 = tenderloin steak grilled to 37 F 2 = tenderloin steaks grilled to 76 F 2 = tenderloin steaks GF to 37 F 22 = tenderloin steaks GF to 76 F 2 = high ph top loin steaks grilled to 37 F 22 = high ph top loin steaks grilled to 76 F 22 = high ph top loin steaks GF to 37 F 222 = high ph top loin steaks GF to 76 F 33 = Choice bottom round roasts CP to 37 F 332 = Choice bottom round roasts CP to 76 F 43 = Select bottom round roasts CP to 37 F 432 = Select bottom round roasts CP to 76 F 5 = Choice top loin steaks grilled to 37 F 52 = Choice top loin steaks grilled to 76 F 52 = Choice top loin steaks GF to 37 F 522 = Choice top loin steaks GF to 76 F 6 = Choice top sirloin steaks grilled to 37 F 62 = Choice top sirloin steaks grilled to 76 F 62 = Choice top sirloin steaks GF to 37 F 622 = Choice top sirloin steaks GF to 76 F Musty/ moldy Liver-like Green hay-like Aromatic 43 332 432 Juiciness Juiciness 22 2 Muscle fiber Tenderness Liking tenderness 6 52 Overall tenderness 62 Connective tissue 2 222 22 amount 622 Overall 33 522 62 5 22 Beef flavor Overall flavor 2 Overall Grilled flavor sweet 52 Burnt - - t =tenderloin steak grilled to 37 F 2=tenderloin steaks grilled to 76 F 2=tenderloin steaks GF to 37 F 22=tenderloin steaks GF to 76 F 2=high ph TL steaks grilled to 37 F 22=high ph TL steaks grilled to 76 F 22=high ph TL steaks GF to 37 F 222=high ph TL steaks GF to 76 F 33=Choice BR roasts CP to 37 F 332=Choice BR roasts CP to 76 F 43=Select BR roasts CP to 37 F 432=Select BR roasts CP to 76 F 5=Choice TL steaks grilled to 37 F 52=Choice TL steaks grilled to 76 F 52=Choice TL steaks GF to 37 F 522=Choice TL steaks GF to 76 F 6=Choice TS steaks grilled to 37 F 62=Choice TS steaks grilled to 76 F 62=Choice TS steaks GF to 37 F 622=Choice TS steaks GF to 76 F Heavy and Light beef eaters Millennial versus Non-Millennial Combined two previous research studies Removed Tenderloins from Light beef eaters study Used aromatic compounds common to both studies (n=49) Examined Light Millennial, Light Non-millennial, Heavy Millennial, and Heavy Non-millennial consumers Drivers of Liking CGCP37 CGCP76 TButtGrill37 CLoinGrill37 Beef CLoinGrill76 CLoinGF76 Brown Fat Osweet Aldehydes HphGrill76 Ketones Benzaldehyde CLoinGF37 Bloody TButtGrill76 HphGF76 TButtGF37 StraightHC KLN: KS Light Non-Millenials Liver HphGrill37 TButtGF76 HphGF37 KLN: KS Light Non-Millenials SGCP37 KLN: KS Light Non-Millenials SGCP76.2.6. -.6 Samples KHM KHN KLM KLN OHM OHN OLM OLN PHM PHN PLM PLN -.2 -.2 -.6..6.2 68 TH RECIPROCAL PC - 35% MEAT CONFERENCE 3
6/25/25 Correlations with t on axes t and for light and heavy beef eaters Alkanes Overall Flavor Liver-like Ketones Benzaldehyde Aldehydes - - t (c) Correlations on axes t and for non-millennial heavy beef eaters TButtGF37 TButtGrill37 Straight chain TButtGF76 carbons Flavor SGCP37 CLoinGF37 Overall Benzaldehyde CLoinGrill37 Liver-like CGCP37 HphGF37 Ketones Grilled HphGF76 TButtGrill76 Aldehydes HphGrill37 CGCP76 CLoinGF76 SGCP76 HphGrill76 CLoinGrill76 - - t Correlations on axes t and for millennial light beef eaters TButtGF37 TButtGrill37 Straight chain carbon Overall CLoinGF37 Flavor TButtGF76 SGCP37 HphGF37 HphGrill37 CLoinGrill37 Liver-like CGCP37 HphGF76 HphGrill76 Ketones Benzaldehyde TButtGrill76 CGCP76 CLoinGF76 Aldehydes CLoinGrill76 SGCP76 - - t (c) Correlations on axes t and for nonmillennial heavy beef eaters TButtGrill37 TButtGF37 Straight TButtGF76Hydrocarbons Flavor SGCP37 CLoinGF37 Overall Benzaldehyde CLoinGrill37 Liver-like CGCP37 HphGF37 Ketones HphGF76 TButtGrill76 Grilled Aldehydes HphGrill37 CGCP76 CLoinGF76 SGCP76 HphGrill76 CLoinGrill76 - - t Correlations on axes t and for millennial light beef eaters TButtGF37 TButtGrill37 Straight Chain Overall Carbon CLoinGF37 Flavor TButtGF76 SGCP37 HphGF37 HphGrill37 CLoinGrill37 CGCP37 HphGF76HphGrill76 Liver-like Ketones Benzaldehyde TButtGrill76 CGCP76 CLoinGF76 Aldehydes CLoinGrill76 SGCP76 - - t (b) (b) Word cloud from Wordle.net of consumer positive comments from heavy beef eaters and (b) light beef eaters. Word cloud from Wordle.net of consumer negative comments from heavy beef eaters and (b) light beef eaters. 4
6/25/25 Conclusions and what is next! Flavor is a predominant driver of consumer overall What do consumers NOT like? Liver-like, cardboardy, ketones, aldehydes, benzaldehydes What do consumers like?, pyrazines, grill flavor, Meillard reaction products, brown/roasted, beef identity, sweet, salt & umami & serumy/bloody related Millennials versus Non-Millennials do not differ in response to flavor of beef; other factors drive consumption other than palatability factors Current: Light, heavy, millennial, & non-millennial response to beef, pork and chicken Central location In-home placement Future: Ground beef and flavor drivers Funding Acknowledgment Acknowledgments Dr. Chris Kerth (Texas A&M University) Dr. Koushik Adhikari (University of Georgia Griffin) Drs. Edgar Chambers IV, Delores Chamber, and Marianne Swaney- Stueve (Kansas State University) Ms. Ann Colonna (Oregon State University) Ms. Rachel Primrose (Pennsylvania State University) Graduate Students: Chrisly Philips, Dr. Adria Grayson, Kaitlyn Grimshaw, Rachel Glascock, Hannah Laird, Tanner Luckemeyer, Micheal Berto, Sarah Chu, Maria Aguirre, Crystal Waters, Hillary Henderson 5