Extrinsic attributes responsible for red wine quality perception: A cross-cultural study between France and Spain

Understanding quality perception requires focusing both on product proprieties and consumers’ representations. The goal of this study was to access the representations of perceived extrinsic wine quality of consumers from two different wine regions in two European countries with an important wine tradition: La Rioja-RJ-(Spain) and Côtes du Rhône-CdR-(France).Twenty commercial red wines (ten from RJ and ten from CdR) were evaluated in terms of quality by means of a categorization task. Ninety-five French and 93 Spanish consumers had to categorize the 20 wines according to four levels of quality going from very low to very high quality.Three clusters of French and two of Spanish consumers have been identified. Country-of-origin of wine arises as the most important extrinsic cue for less-involved French and Spanish consumers, while more-involved consumers with higher knowledge in wine are able to interpret and use a wider range of cues. Consumers’ knowledge, involvement and nationality appear to be good predictors of quality perception.These results are relevant for the field of sensory analysis in that they help understanding the construction of quality perception. The wine industry can benefit also from these results, especially when exporting wines. This cross-cultural study may help them to develop marketing strategies able to enhance the quality perception of wines and to make use of different extrinsic factors.     

Consumer segmentation based on convenience orientation and attitudes towards quality attributes of lamb meat

Food consumption patterns in general and those of meat in particular are constantly changing. These changes are due to wide-ranging, socio-economic and cultural trends but also to the specific lifestyles of increasingly diversified groups of consumers. One of the main trends in meat consumption relates to convenience orientation and meat avoidance. We have used a modified food-related lifestyle (FRL) framework to analyse the current state of lamb meat consumption in a region of Spain, where this has steadily decreased over the past few years. We have focused on two aspects of the FRL framework: cooking habits and consumption situations, in order to establish customer convenience orientation. Other aspects of the FRL, referring to consumers’ perception of quality and shopping methods, together with various socio-economic features, are used to characterise the convenience profiles of consumers and analyse their differences. Data were collected by means of a probabilistic stratified postal survey and analysed with multivariate techniques (Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Cluster Analysis). The objective was to identify, characterise and compare profiles of lamb meat consumers according to their convenience orientation. These consumer profiles could be termed traditional, uninvolved, adventurous and careless. Satisfaction derived from cooking and time spent on cooking, tendency towards eating out, preference of foreign vs. traditional recipes and for the diversification of meals, were the most important factors to distinguish between consumer profiles. Other factors relating to eating out on working days, the importance placed on planning meals, celebration meals, or a preference for informal dinners, did not discriminate between consumer profiles. In relation to the perception of intrinsic quality attributes, no differences were observed for the importance placed on fat content and type of animal, although a fresh appearance and light colour of the meat were more highly valued by traditional consumers. With regard to extrinsic quality attributes, easy cooking was very important for uninvolved consumers. In general, the presence of a quality label, the local origin of the meat and a feeding system based on pasture or green forages rather than on grains were highly valued by most consumer profiles. In socio-economical terms, convenience orientation was more related to age, place of residence and level of studies than to income and gender. The identification of different convenience orientations towards lamb meat and the associated perceptions of different quality attributes and socio-demographic features may provide an opportunity for the industry to develop consumer-led products, especially in highly undifferentiated meat products such as lamb.     

Consumer evaluation of fish quality as basis for fish market segmentation

This paper focuses on consumer evaluation of fish quality and its association with fish consumption, risk and benefit beliefs and information processing variables. Cross-sectional data were collected from a sample of 429 consumers in March 2003 in Belgium. Two dimensions shape fish quality evaluation: personal relevance attached to fish quality and self-confidence in fish quality evaluation, which allow segmenting the market in four fish consumer segments. The segments are typified as Uninvolved, Uncertain, Self-confident and Connoisseurs, and have distinctive behavioural, attitudinal and socio-demographic profiles. The Uninvolved are mainly young males, have the lowest fish consumption level, weakest belief in health benefits from eating fish, and lowest interest in both search and credence information cues. Uncertain fish consumers are mainly females, with a tendency of lower education and urban residence, who feel not confident to evaluate fish quality, although they find quality very important. They display a strong interest in a fish quality label. The most relevant findings about Self-confident consumers, whose socio-demographic profile matches best with the overall sample, are their high fish consumption level, and their relatively low interest in a fish quality label. Connoisseurs are mainly females in the age category 55+, who are strongly involved with food in general and most convinced of the association between food and health. They have the highest fish consumption and show a strong interest in both search and credence cues, as well as in a fish quality label. The segments do not differ with respect to risk perception about fish.     

Plasma and muscle cortisol measurements as indicators of meat quality and stress in pigs

Post-slaughter blood samples and muscle samples were collected from pigs slaughtered at the completion of a live-animal performance trial. There were two lines of pigs in which the halothane allele (n) was segregating. The lines were a lean line selected for rapid lean growth and an unselected fat line. There were homozygous normal (NN), homozygous halothane positive (nn) and heterozygous (Nn) genotypes in both lnes. Cortisol was measured in the plasma of the blood samples and in muscle juice obtained by high-speed centrifugation. Meat quality was assessed using pH, colour, fibre-optic probe, drip loss and cure yield measurements. Plasma cortisol concentrations in the fat line were significantly (P < 0·05) greater than thosein the lean line but concentrations did not differ significantly for the three halothane genotypes. Carcasses classified as dark, firm and dry (DFD) had significantly (P < 0·05) greater muscle cortisol concentrations than those classified as normal. Plasma and muscle cortisol concentrations of carcases classified as pale, soft and exudative (PSE) did not differ significantly from those classified as normal. Correlations between muscle cortisol and meat quality attributes were generally highly significant (r = 0·31 to r = 0·51, P < 0·001) There was a highly significant correlation (r = 0·73, P < 0·0001) between plasma and muscle cortisol concentrations.     

Quantifying and predicting meat and meat products quality attributes using electromagnetic waves: An overview

The meat industry needs reliable meat quality information throughout the production process in order to guarantee high-quality meat products for consumers. Besides laboratory researches, food scientists often try to adapt their tools to industrial conditions and easy handling devices useable on-line and in slaughterhouses already exist. This paper overviews the recently developed approaches and latest research efforts related to assessing the quality of different meat products by electromagnetic waves and examines the potential for their deployment. The main meat quality traits that can be assessed using electromagnetic waves are sensory characteristics, chemical composition, physicochemical properties, health-protecting properties, nutritional characteristics and safety. A wide range of techniques, from low frequency, high frequency impedance measurement, microwaves, NMR, IR and UV light, to X-ray interaction, involves a wide range of physical interactions between the electromagnetic wave and the sample. Some of these techniques are now in a period of transition between experimental and applied utilization and several sensors and instruments are reviewed.     

德阳市场肉制品质量调查

分析肉制品的质量状况,为生产企业找出改进方向,提高肉制品的质量,提高产品合格率。选择有代表性的肉制品采样,依据有关标准进行检验分析。在总共51份肉制品样品中,总合格率为76.47%。在不合格的指标中,水分占33.33%,酸价占25.00%,亚硝酸盐残留占16.67%,细菌总数、蛋白质和过氧化值各占8.33%。     

Chemical composition and quality attributes of goat meat and lamb

Chemically, goat meat had significantly (P < 0·05) less intramuscular fat and significantly (P < 0·001) more moisture than lamb. The sarcoplasmic protein concentration of the goat meat was significantly (P < 0·001) greater than that of lamb while the myofibrillar protein concentration was similar in the two species.

Goat meat was darker red in colour than lamb. It had significantly (P < 0·001) superior water-holding capacity and less cooking losses than lamb. Meat flavour was significantly (P < 0·05) less strong in goat meat than in lamb.     

长白山马鹿肉质品质分析

对长白山林区3～5岁马鹿作为样品,与当地黄牛相比,进行肉质分析,结果显示:在营养品质方面,马鹿肉质蛋白质含量高(21.49g/100g),肌间脂肪含量低(1.92 g/100g),矿物质含量丰富(1.13 g/100g);在食用品质方面,马鹿肉色较深红、大理石纹分布适中、肌纤维直径较大,系水力(54.12%)和熟肉率(53.90%)稍差.马鹿肉质具有高蛋白、低脂肪、嫩度适中等特点,并且具有较好的加工特性,是一种绿色优质的肉类资源.     

Citrus pulp as an ingredient in ostrich diet: effects on meat quality

The purpose of this trial was to study the effects of citrus pulp inclusion in ostrich diets on meat quality, evaluated on iliofibularis and gastrocnemius muscles. M. iliofibularis had a lower ultimate pH (P<0.05) and was lighter in colour (P<0.05) than M. gastrocnemius. The latter had higher moisture (P<0.05) and lower crude protein contents (P<0.05) as compared to M. iliofibularis. M. gastrocnemius had a lower proportion of C14:0 (P<0.05), C16:0 (P<0.05) and C16:1 (P<0.05) and a higher percentage of C18:0 (P<0.05), C20:2ω6 (P<0.05), C20:4ω6 (P<0.05) and C20:5ω3 (P<0.05) than M. iliofibularis. Citrus pulp diet increased (P<0.05) meat ultimate pH and reduced cooking losses (P<0.05) as compared to the control diet. Meat from animals given citrus pulp had lower crude fat (P<0.05) and ash percentages (P<0.05) in comparison to that from the control group. The proportions of intramuscular saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids were lower (P<0.05) in the citrus pulp group as compared to the control one. Meat from the citrus pulp treatment group had a higher (P<0.05) percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids than meat from the control treatment. In particular, meat from ostriches given citrus pulp diet exhibited higher C18:2ω6 (P<0.05) and C20:4ω6 (P<0.05) contents that accounted for a higher ω6/ω3 ratio (P<0.05) as compared to the control group. Overall, the use of a citrus pulp-included diet in ostrich feeding did not adversely affect meat quality and, therefore, citrus pulp seems to be a possible ingredient to reduce feeding costs.     

Perceptual attributes of poultry and other meat products: a repertory grid application

Increased demand for processed poultry products through the growth of home meal replacements and ready to eat products, present an opportunity for the development of new value-added poultry products. Repertory grid interviews were conducted to generate insight into consumer driven product development of these products. Procrustes analysis revealed that healthiness, nutrition, convenience, and processing attributes were most important parameters for discriminating amongst 24 meat and meat alternatives. "White meat", "healthier", "leaner", "good source of protein", "easy to cook" and "convenient", were found to positively influence consumer preferences for unprocessed chicken products, eggs and salmon while price did not appear to be important for differentiating the products. Traditional processed fish and poultry products, such as chicken nuggets, represented undesirable composition, processing and quality concerns. Identification of consumer attributes for discriminating poultry products among other meat alternatives can guide the development of competitive value-added poultry products.     

Winery grape-residue extract: Effects on quality and sensory attributes of cooked chicken meat

Sensory analysis, instrumental color, pH, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were determined on cooked chicken meat with and without grape seed extract during refrigerated storage. The effectiveness of extracts of winery grape residue from the grape varieties ‘Isabel’ and ‘Niagara’ were tested to evaluate their effectiveness at delaying lipid oxidation in cooked chicken meat and stored under refrigeration (4±1°C). The samples were aerobically and vacuum packaged and stored for 14 days. ‘Isabel’ grape extract (IGE) and ‘Niagara’ grape extract (NGE) proved effective at promoting oxidative stability when applied at concentrations of 40 or 60 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/kg, with results similar to the synthetic antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). The antioxidant efficiency of the extracts was highly dependent on the concentration used. The addition of grape-residue extracts combined with vacuum packaging proved to be a good method for increasing lipid stability in cooked chicken meat stored under refrigeration.     

The changing nature of red meat: 20 years of improving nutritional quality

Meat, a concentrated nutrient source, was traditionally considered essential for optimal growth and development. This reputation diminished as enthusiasm for the lipid hypothesis gathered pace. The meat industry has worked steadily to reduce the fat content of red meat achieving significant results. Progress continues with both total fat reduction and modifications to the fatty acid profiles.Recent concerns over intakes of certain micronutrients in vulnerable age groups, particularly iron, zinc and vitamin D are highlighted. Is this a positive opportunity for lean meat—now a relatively low fat, natural, nutritional supplement?This review summarizes the changes in the nutritional composition of red meat over the past 20 years, focusing on the positive nutritional opportunities, within the confines of current scientific opinion and policy on human nutritional needs.     

Bacteriological safety issues in red meat and ready-to-eat meat products, as well as control measures

The importance of Eschericha coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium DT104 as meat-borne pathogens is well established. Pathogenic bacteria such as Aeromonas spp., Arcobacter spp., psychrotrophic Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter spp., Clostridium botulinum and non-invasive Listeria monocytogenes can be regarded as rookies, but not yet firmly associated with today's production of red meat and meat products. The development of PCR and other DNA-based techniques will shed new light on so called emerging pathogens. Important safety issues in meat production, such as insufficient cleaning and disinfection (including the stable/lairage, processing environment), carcass decontamination and chilling, and cross contamination are discussed. Furthermore, probability modelling of survival and growth is identified as an important way to achieve a better understanding of how to deal with the complexity of further processing, including heat treatment and storage.     

Fluorimetric detection of protoporphyrins as an indicator for quality monitoring of fresh intact pork meat

In fresh meat production fast and non-destructive quality monitoring along the distribution chain is a key aspect to guaranteeing high quality and safe products for consumption. The applicability of fluorescence spectroscopy using protoporphyrins as indicators for meat ageing was investigated. Porcine musculus longissimus dorsi (MLD) was stored in slices over 20 days at 5 and 12 °C and measured every day with an excitation of 420 nm and an emission range of 550–750 nm. Additionally, pH, drip loss and colour were examined to assess possible correlations.The obtained spectra of the MLD showed an increase in three peaks at 592, 638 and 705 nm which could be reconstructed using the spectra of standard solutions of protoporphyrin IX (PP) and zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP) or magnesium protoporphyrin (MgPP), respectively.Using principal component analysis (PCA) on the fluorescence spectral data, the meat slices stored at 5 °C showed differences in the fluorescence signal after the 10th day and 5th day when stored at 12 °C. An interrelationship between the additional analyses and the fluorescence intensities on these relevant days could not be established.In conclusion, the increase of ZnPP fluorescence due to temperature related changes of physiological meat properties is capable of serving as a quality indicator with regards to inadequate conditioning (e.g. during transportation and/or storage) of pork meat.     

Fluorimetric detection of protoporphyrins as an indicator for quality monitoring of fresh intact pork meat

In fresh meat production fast and non-destructive quality monitoring along the distribution chain is a key aspect to guaranteeing high quality and safe products for consumption. The applicability of fluorescence spectroscopy using protoporphyrins as indicators for meat ageing was investigated. Porcine musculus longissimus dorsi (MLD) was stored in slices over 20 days at 5 and 12 °C and measured every day with an excitation of 420 nm and an emission range of 550–750 nm. Additionally, pH, drip loss and colour were examined to assess possible correlations.The obtained spectra of the MLD showed an increase in three peaks at 592, 638 and 705 nm which could be reconstructed using the spectra of standard solutions of protoporphyrin IX (PP) and zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP) or magnesium protoporphyrin (MgPP), respectively.Using principal component analysis (PCA) on the fluorescence spectral data, the meat slices stored at 5 °C showed differences in the fluorescence signal after the 10th day and 5th day when stored at 12 °C. An interrelationship between the additional analyses and the fluorescence intensities on these relevant days could not be established.In conclusion, the increase of ZnPP fluorescence due to temperature related changes of physiological meat properties is capable of serving as a quality indicator with regards to inadequate conditioning (e.g. during transportation and/or storage) of pork meat.     

Comparison of indicators of microbial quality of meat during aerobic cold storage

This study was undertaken to evaluate various indicators for the prediction of the microbial quality of pork and beef loins during cold storage at 0 and 4 degrees C under aerobic conditions. Fresh loins of beef and pork were packaged aerobically and stored at 0 +/- 1 degrees C for 22 days and at 4 +/- 1 degrees C for 12 days or until the total plate counts (TPCs) for these loins exceeded 10(8) CFU/ml. During storage, samples were taken periodically for the measurement of TPCs, psychrotrophic bacterial counts, amine contents, volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) values, thiobarbituric acid values, D-glucose contents, L-lactate contents, pH, and electrical conductivity. Correlation coefficients were ca. 0.90 for all indicators except pH and conductivity. However, VBN and D-glucose contents showed the best correlation with bacterial counts at both temperatures for both beef and pork. Therefore, VBN and D-glucose could potentially be used as indicators in predicting the microbial quality of beef and pork during chilled storage under aerobic conditions.     

天-青杂交一代马鹿产肉性能及肉质特性的研究

以甘肃省天祝华藏养鹿厂成年天-青杂交一代马鹿为实验材料,以天山马鹿原种为对照,利用常规方法及氨基酸分析仪等方法,研究了天-青杂交一代马鹿的屠宰性能、食用品质和营养成分,结果表明:杂交一代马鹿的屠宰率53.63%、眼肌面积53.31cm2、熟肉率78.8%、肌纤维直径19.88μm、水分75.45g/100g、蛋白26.15g/100g、脂肪2.08g/100g、灰分0/96g/100g、总氨基酸84/29g/100g、必需氨基酸占总氨基酸的34.41%,天-青杂交一代马鹿生产性能好,其肉质嫩度好、肉色鲜红、营养丰富,具有高蛋白、低脂肪、氨基酸含量全面等特点,并且具有良好的加工特性,是一种优质的肉类资源.     

Meat quality characteristics of springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis). 1: Physical meat attributes as influenced by age, gender and production region

Springbok is the most extensively cropped game species in South Africa. The effects of age (adult, sub-adult, lamb), gender and production region on the physical attributes (pH₂₄, cooking and drip loss, Warner Bratzler shear force and colour) were determined using samples of the M. longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles of 166 springbok. Stressed animals had a higher (P < 0.05) pH₂₄ (6.3 ± 0.07), as observed in the meat originating from the Caledon region. This meat had lower (P < 0.05) cooking loss (27.2 ± 0.62%) and drip loss (1.8 ± 0.08%) values in comparison to meat originating from the other regions. Inverse correlations were noted between pH₂₄ and drip loss (r = −0.26, P < 0.01) and cooking loss (r = −0.42, P < 0.001). Shear force values (kg/1.27 cm diameter) correlated positively (r = 0.25, P < 0.01) with pH₂₄. Age-related effects on tenderness were small in comparison with pH₂₄ effects. CIELab colorimetric values were typical of game meat and venison (L^* < 40, high a^* and low b^* values). It was noted that pH₂₄ correlated negatively (r = −0.51, P < 0.001) and positively (r = 0.33, P < 0.001) with the hue-angle and the chroma value of colour, respectively. Springbok originating from Caledon had a significantly (P < 0.05) higher a^* value, indicating meat to be more red with higher colour saturation.     

The bacterial quality of red meat and offal in Casablanca (Morocco)

The present study aimed to evaluate the bacteriological quality of beef (n = 52), lamb (n = 52) and beef offal (n = 52) marketed in Casablanca, Morocco. Meat and offal samples (n = 156), were collected randomly from butcheries, supermarkets, and slaughterhouses. Two sampling periods were considered, one during the hot season and the second one during the cold season. The samples were analyzed for the presence of the following bacteria: Escherichia coli, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes. Results indicated that counts of the aerobic plate count, and fecal coliforms were particularly high in all the samples analyzed. E. coli, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus and C. perfringens were detected in 37.8, 16, and 4.5% of the meat samples, respectively. Neither Salmonella nor L. monocytogenes were isolated from meat samples. Approximately 26.9% of beef, 34.6% of lamb and 28.8% of beef offal samples contained bacteria above the maximum limits established by the Moroccan regulatory standards for meat and meat products. Seasonality and the distribution location significantly (p < 0.05) affected bacterial populations: the hot season and butcheries appeared to be cases where the highest populations of bacteria in meat were observed. These high levels of microbiological contamination attest the poor hygienic quality of meat and offal, possibly due to uncontrolled processing, storage, and handling of these products.