Using instrumental (CIE and reflectance) measures to predict consumers' acceptance of beef colour.

We aimed to establish colorimetric thresholds based upon the capacity for instrumental measures to predict consumer satisfaction with beef colour. A web-based survey was used to distribute standardised photographs of beef M. longissimus lumborum with known colorimetrics (L*, a*, b*, hue, chroma, ratio of reflectance at 630nm and 580nm, and estimated deoxymyoglobin, oxymyoglobin and metmyoglobin concentrations) for scrutiny.

Relationship between colorimetric (instrumental) evaluation and consumer-defined beef colour acceptability.

The relationship between instrumental colorimetric values (L*, a*, b*, the ratio of reflectance at 630nm and 580nm) and consumer perception of acceptable beef colour was evaluated using a web-based survey and standardised photographs of beef m. longissimus lumborum with known colorimetrics. Only L* and b* were found to relate to average consumer opinions of beef colour acceptability.

The effect of forage type on lamb carcass traits, meat quality and sensory traits.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different forage-types on lamb carcass, meat quality and sensory attributes. Sixty-two, White Dorper lambs finished on bladder clover, brassica, chicory+arrowleaf clover, lucerne+phalaris or lucerne, were slaughtered at a commercial abattoir. At 24h post-mortem, the m.

Lambmeat colour values (HunterLab CIE and reflectance) are influenced by aperture size (5 mm v. 25 mm).

The effect of aperture size on the assessment of lamb meat colour values (L*, a*, b* and R630/580)was investigated. Two experiments using 2 HunterLab MiniScan colorimeters (large [25 mm] and small [5 mm] apertures) were conducted: 1) coloured tiles were measured and 2) unaged lamb (n = 65) m. longissimus lumborum (LL) and m.

Modelling lamb carcase pH and temperature decline parameters: relationship to shear force and abattoir variation.

Carcase pH and temperature decline rates influence lamb tenderness; therefore pH decline parameters are beneficial when modelling tenderness. These include pH at temperature 18 °C (pH@Temp18), temperature when pH is 6 (Temp@pH6), and pH at 24 h post-mortem (pH24). This study aimed to establish a relationship between shear force (SF) as a proxy for tenderness and carcase pH decline parameters estimated using both linear and spline estimation models for the m.

Post-mortem modelling of pH and temperature in related lamb carcases.

Exponential decay models have been used to model pH and temperature decline in lamb carcases post mortem. Such models, once fitted to carcase data, can then be used to predict a carcase's pH at a temperature of 18°C and its temperature when the pH equals 6. Unfortunately, these models frequently fail when fitted to limited pH/temperature data, because of either insufficient data or inappropriateness of the exponential decay model.

Modelling the decline of pH in muscles of lamb carcases.

Assuming an exponential decay model (EDM) for pH decline as a function of temperature, ideal shortening (i.e. neither hot nor cold shortening) for an individual carcase occurs if and only if that carcase's model parameters fall within a specific sub-region of three dimensional space.