Preferences for lamb meat: A choice experiment for Spanish consumers

This paper analyzes consumers' preferences for different lamb meat attributes using a choice experiment. In particular, preferences for the type of commercial lamb meat (“Ternasco” and “Suckling”) and the origin of production (locally produced “Ojinegra from Teruel”) were evaluated. Moreover, we endogenously identify consumers' segments based on consumers' preferences for the analyzed attributes. Data come from a survey administrated in Spain during 2009. A latent class model was used to estimate the effect of the attributes on consumer utility, derive the willingness to pay and determine consumers' segments. Results suggest that consumers' preferences for both attributes are heterogeneous and two homogenous consumers' segments were detected. The largest segment (79%) did not value any of the analyzed attributes while the smaller one (21%) valued both of them positively. In particular, consumers in this second segment are willing to pay an extra premium for the “Ternasco” lamb meat, around double the premium they are willing to pay for the locally produced lamb meat “Ojinegra from Teruel”.     

Acceptability of lamb meat from different producing systems and ageing time to German, Spanish and British consumers

In the present study German (DE), Spanish (ES) and British (UK) consumers' acceptance of lamb from their own country compared to lamb from Uruguay (UY) was evaluated. Two-hundred consumers in each country evaluated tenderness, flavour and overall acceptability of four types of lamb, two from UY (light and heavy lambs aged 20 d) and 2 local (with two ageing times, 7 and 20 d). In each country 1.5cm-thick slices of lamb were evaluated by previously selected consumers in controlled conditions. DE and UK consumers showed significantly (P<0.05) different acceptability scores between samples, the lamb from heavier animals and aged 20 d being the most appreciated. On the other hand the majority of the ES consumers significantly (P<0.05) preferred the meat from lighter lambs. Production systems, cultural aspects and consumption habits seem to affect the acceptability of the lamb to the consumers.     

Assessment of commercial lamb meat quality by British and Spanish taste panels

Trained sensory panels in Britain and Spain assessed loin meat from commercial lambs purchased in Spain, which included Welsh lamb (imported from Britain) and two Spanish breeds (Merino and Rasa Aragonesa). The British panel also assessed British lamb purchased in local butcher shops and supermarkets. Sensory panels, in each country, received meat from the same lambs and used their local methods of cooking and assessment. Spanish panels used unstructured line scales to measure lamb odour intensity, tenderness, juiciness, lamb flavour intensity and two hedonic scales of flavour liking and overall liking. The British panel used 8 point category scales with the same attributes. Results from both panels in objective parameters were in agreement, hence showing that different trained sensory panels may arrive at the same conclusion. However, when panellists were allowed to make hedonic judgements (preference), the British panel preferred British lamb and the Spanish panel preferred Spanish lamb. This finding has important consequences for lamb producers who export their lambs and demonstrates that the underlying reasons for different preferences should be investigated. Production variables are discussed in relation to their influence on lamb eating quality and as a way to tailor lamb eating quality attributes familiar to consumers in the importing country.     

Preference mapping: A case study

The application of preference mapping to a survey in which 119 children tested 11 frozen chicken nuggets was investigated. A cluster analysis undertaken on consumer data provided three clusters. Consumers in the first cluster (43% of the sample) did not have a marked preference for these 11 nuggets. For the two remaining clusters, preference mapping was conducted. A feature of this case was that the sensory space, analysed by Principal Component Analysis, involved more than two dimensions. The purpose of the study was to describe how to choose first, the regression models between sensory and consumer data and second, the axes on which to represent these regressions, using the Fisher test of nested models.     

The importance of transformations for traceability – A case study of lamb and lamb products

Vertical product information flow is important with regard to consumers’ perceptions of the meat which they buy. When research and analysis of traceability is carried out it is often found that critical points where information is systematically lost are encountered in the transformations of the resources. This study describes how lamb meat can be both tracked and traced through a lamb meat producer (company A). At company A 60% of the resource transformations were shown to be additions, mixing and splitting, these are considered to be those which produce the most critical traceability points. After an analysis of the current traceability system at company A suggested improvements were made. With regard to granularity of traceability they cannot trace individual animals during production, but rather a set of animals. The smallest traceable resource unit (TRU) company A can trace back to be a set of (identifiable) animals from one specific farm.     

Genetic parameters for meat quality traits of Australian lamb meat

Genetic parameters were estimated for a range of meat quality traits recorded on Australian lamb meat. Data were collected from Merino and crossbred progeny of Merino, terminal and maternal meat breed sires of the Information Nucleus programme. Lambs born between 2007 and 2010 (n = 8968) were slaughtered, these being the progeny of 372 sires and 5309 dams. Meat quality traits were found generally to be of moderate heritability (estimates between 0.15 and 0.30 for measures of meat tenderness, meat colour, polyunsaturated fat content, mineral content and muscle oxidative capacity), with notable exceptions of intramuscular fat (0.48), ultimate pH (0.08) and fresh meat colour a* (0.08) and b* (0.10) values. Genetic correlations between hot carcass weight and the meat quality traits were low. The genetic correlation between intramuscular fat and shear force was high (− 0.62). Several measures of meat quality (fresh meat redness, retail meat redness, retail oxy/met value and iron content) appear to have potential for inclusion in meat sheep breeding objectives.     

Effects of gas composition in modified atmosphere packaging on the meat quality of Spanish Manchega lamb

The effects of four types of packaging atmosphere, each with a different gas composition (20–80% CO₂), on the meat quality of Spanish Manchega lamb were examined in order to suggest a gas composition for optimal preservation. Meat quality was assessed by pH, colour (L*,a* and b* values), water‐holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss (CL) and shear force (SF). Gas composition affected all parameters except L* and SF. The pH values decreased significantly in samples packed with 80% CO₂ but remained constant in the other groups. The b* values were lower in samples packed without O₂ than in the other groups and increased with time. However, the a* values decreased in all groups with time. Samples packed in low‐CO₂ atmosphere tended to lose more water (ie to have less WHC and show more CL). The SF values decreased with time, and similar values of this parameter were observed for all treatments. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Stable isotope ratio analysis for authentication of lamb meat

The effectiveness of the analysis of stable isotope ratios ((13)C/(12)C and (15)N/(14)N) in fractions of lamb meat, measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry, was evaluated as a method of feeding and geographical origin authentication. Analyses were carried out on meat from 12 lamb types, produced in couples in six European countries (country of origin, CO) and divided in three groups according to the feeding regime during their finishing period: suckled milk only, pasture without any solid supplementation and supplementation containing maize grain (feeding regime, FR). These analyses were made on two samples of longissimus thoracis muscle, taken from the 13th rib section of the left side of two different lambs, randomly chosen between the 120 selected to represent each lamb type. δ(13)C values varied significantly in different meat fractions, the difference being higher in protein than in fat (average difference 5.0‰). However, the pairs δ(13)C values of crude fat and protein were highly correlated (r=0.976) and affected by lamb type in a similar fashion, mainly reflecting animals' feeding regime. Even δ(15)N values of meat protein fraction showed significant differences between lamb types, not dependant on the feeding regime. In fact, lambs fed on similar diets, but in different countries, gave meat with different (15)N relative abundances. These findings provide the possibility of discriminating lamb types within the same feeding regime. Canonical discriminant analysis was carried out to evaluate whether lamb meat from different CO or FR or CO×FR interaction could be mathematically distinguished by its stable isotope ratios. On the basis of CO, the corrected empirical allocation of 79.2% of the initial observations and the corrected cross-validation of two thirds of the individual meat samples was obtained. FR gave better results: 91.7% of the individual meat samples was both correctly allocated and cross-validated, indicating the high potential of stable isotope ratio analysis as a tool for lamb diet characterisation. The most satisfactory classification attained, using K-means clustering technique and canonical discriminant analysis, enabled a good resolution of six CO×FR groups of lamb types: Icelandic fed on pasture; British and French grazing; Italian; suckled and Karagouniko concentrates finished; French Lacaune; Ternasco de Aragon. It was concluded that multielement stable isotope analysis may be considered promising for the reliable evaluation of lamb meat authenticity, in the same way as for wine, fruit juice, honey and dairy products.     

Regional variation in the hedonic evaluation of lamb meat from diverse production systems by consumers in six European countries

This paper describes the responses of consumers in six European countries (Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Iceland and United Kingdom) tasting meat from twelve different local types of lambs produced in those same six countries. Animals represented 10 breeds and crossbreeds, three sexes, several diets composed of either milk, concentrates and various forages as main ingredients and different slaughter ages, from 1 and 12 months, and carcass weights, from 5.5 to 30.4 kg. Tests were conducted by 36 volunteer families in each of the six countries involved in the study. Families were asked to roast the joints using their own cooking criteria, evaluating (from “dislike extremely” to “like extremely”) flavour, tenderness, juiciness and overall liking. Also the cook was asked to rate the odour during cooking. Country and lamb type and their interaction were statistically significant for all the variables analysed. Results suggest a link between the assessments of a given lamb type and the consumers’ culinary background, showing clear associations between country and lamb type preferences. It was possible to separate, independently of the country, different groups of families with similar preferences. Five family groups, which included 88 families (40.74%), had a clear Mediterranean origin and preferred types of lamb fed either milk or mainly concentrate diets. Seven family groups, which included 93 families (43.06%) with a clear northern origin, preferred types reared on grass or with grass included in the diet. The rest of the groups (four) that included 35 families (16.20%) had no clear composition (northern or Mediterranean), and they had a wider taste preference. It can clearly be seen that there are two categories of consumers of lamb in the analysed European market: those who prefer “milk or concentrate taste” and those who prefer “grass taste”.     

To meat or not to meat? Comparing empowered meat consumers’ and anti-consumers’ preferences for sustainability labels

An increasing awareness of the impact of high levels of meat consumption on health and environmental sustainability is leading to a growing number of consumers reducing or avoiding meat. To address gaps in the literature, we compare and contrast the importance of the seven sustainability-related labels for three consumer groups (meat eaters, meat reducers and vegetarians) using a choice experiment involving 600 UK respondents (200 meat eaters, 200 meat reducers, 200 vegetarians). Type of meat, price and fat content labels have the largest overall impact on consumer choices. The impact of carbon footprint, method of production, origin and brand labels varies across consumer groups.We subsequently use latent class analysis to identify heterogeneous intra-group consumer segments, based on their preferences, and highlight the socio-demographic differences between them. For meat eaters, three consumer segments are identified (empowered, traditional and price conscious meat eaters). Meat reducers are divided into health curtailers and sustainable consumers, while only one segment of vegetarians is identified. By drawing on signalling theory and the consumer empowerment and anti-consumption literature, we identify links between sustainable consumption, consumer empowerment and anti-consumption and provide valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to utilise food labels to encourage more sustainable consumption.     

Influence of evoked contexts on rating-based conjoint analysis: Case study with lamb meat

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of two evoked consumption contexts on consumers’ intention to purchase lamb meat cuts using rating-based conjoint analysis. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the evoked consumption contexts: a celebratory lunch with family over the weekend (n = 157), and a dinner at home after a day’s work (n = 171). Rating-based conjoint analysis was used to evaluate the influence of four independent variables on consumers’ intention to purchase lamb meat in each of the two evoked consumption contexts: type of cut, presentation, seasoning and price. Intention to purchase scores were significantly affected by the evoked context. Consumers were more willing to purchase lamb meat when the celebratory weekend lunch context was considered, compared to the weekday dinner. In the two contexts, price was the most important variable affecting willingness to purchase lamb meat, followed by type of cut. However, at the aggregate level the utility values were similar for the two contexts: consumers expressed higher intention to purchase for leg cuts without seasoning at the highest price. In the two contexts different consumer segments were identified, which gave different relative importance to the variables included in the conjoint task. However, conclusions regarding consumers’ segmentation were affected by evoked consumption context. The findings suggest that evoked consumption contexts influence results from conjoint analysis, which suggests that they may be an interesting methodological alternative to increase the validity of conjoint tasks.     

Translating science into the next generation meat quality program for Australian lamb

This paper introduces a series of papers in the form of a special edition that reports phenotypic analyses done in parallel with genotypic analyses for the Australian Sheep Industry Cooperative Research Centre (Sheep CRC) using data generated from the information nucleus flock (INF). This has allowed new knowledge to be gained of the genetic, environment and management factors that impact on the carcase and eating quality, visual appeal, odour and health attributes of Australian lamb meat. The research described involved close collaboration with commercial partners across the supply chain in the sire breeding as well as the meat processing industries. This approach has enabled timely delivery and adoption of research results to industry in an unprecedented way and provides a good model for future research.     

Consumer’s purchasing intention for lamb meat affected by country of origin, feeding system and meat price: A conjoint study in Spain, France and United Kingdom

Food selection and consumption can be affected by different intrinsic and extrinsic cues. In this study, the effect of three extrinsic cues (country of origin, price and feeding system) on consumer’s purchasing decisions making process for lamb meat in three European countries: Spain, France and United Kingdom was investigated, as well as the relative importance of each cue. Four countries were considered for evaluating the effect of the country of origin (local, Argentina, Switzerland and Uruguay), three feeding systems (grain-fed, grass-fed and grain + grass-fed) and different price levels (low, medium and high), which were simultaneously compared. Fifteen profiles combining the different levels for each of the factors considered where those obtained by means of an orthogonal design. These profiles were evaluated by 100, 99 and 92 consumers in Spain, France and United Kingdom, respectively. Moreover, consumers sensory evaluated lamb from four different feeding systems, grain-fed, grass-fed and two mixtures of grain and grass-fed. Conjoint analysis was carried out both for evaluating clusters of consumers in each country and for considering an overall evaluation of all the countries at the same time. In general, the origin of the meat was the most important factor in determining consumer’s purchasing decisions making process, the local one being the most preferred. Uruguayan origin was the least preferred, which indicates that Uruguayan public and private sectors would need to enhance their country and meat image as well as support market promotion and penetration strategies in the European market. For some consumers the feeding system was the most important factor for choosing any particular meat amongst others, being grass-fed animal the most preferred. These results are not in agreement with the consumer’s acceptability studies of lamb meat when taste the meat from different feeding systems in a blind condition (without information), showing a disconfirmation. Lamb meat price has a minor role in determining consumer’s purchasing decisions. However, one segment of consumers, composed mainly by men, considered that the price is the most important factor. These findings showed the importance of studying consumer preferences and their segmentation for developing market promotions, which should have a holistic approach including extrinsic factors in the evaluation of consumer’s purchasing decisions making process.     

马铃薯淀粉在肉类制品中的应用

<正> 肉制品是古老的食品之一,在远古时代,我们的祖先以打猎、捕鱼为生,自从发现火种后,他们开始懂得加热并储存一部分多余的肉食,这就是最早的肉制品。因此,肉制品的产生和演变可以说贯穿了整个人类文明的发展史。 传统的肉制品可分为3大类:腌(干)制品、蒸煮产品和冷冻产品。其中工业化生产的肉制品主要有:灌制火腿、香肠、午餐肉、鱼丸、肉丸等。 淀粉作为一种天然的食品配料,在肉类制品的加工生产过程中发挥着重要的作用。在肉糜类制品中加入淀粉,对于改善制品的保水性、组织状态均有明显的效果,这是由于在加热过程中淀粉     

A comparison of three modelling approaches for quantitative risk assessment using the case study of Salmonella spp. in poultry meat

A comprehensive review of both the scientific literature and industry practices was undertaken to identify and quantify all sources of contamination throughout the entire poultry meat production chain by Salmonella spp. This information was used to develop a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) model for Salmonella in the production chain from the breeder farm to the chilled carcass. This was subsequently used as the basis on which to compare the merits of three approaches to QRA modelling in such systems. The original model used a Bayesian Network (BN). The second method was a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach, a numerical Bayesian technique which retained a similar network structure but allowed further development, such as the separation of variability and uncertainty. The third method was a more detailed simulation model. The BN responds immediately to changes, such as entering evidence, because it does not use simulation and can propagate information from any point in the network to all others by Bayesian inference. However, it requires all the variables to be discrete, which introduces errors if continuous variables have to be discretized. These errors can accumulate. The MCMC approach does not require discrete variables while retaining some of the properties of the BN model, such as the ability to draw inferences from evidence. Finally, the simulation offers greater flexibility, such as consideration of the individual carcass, but may be more complex to implement as a result and sacrifices the ability to propagate evidence.     

Understanding meat consumption in later life: A segmentation of older consumers in the EU

Protein intake is important for the maintenance of health, independence, and quality of life especially for older adults, yet the expanding older population is at risk of not consuming adequate levels. Notwithstanding its importance in terms of health, dietary protein choice has major ramifications for the state of the environment and for climate change, with meat holding the most weight in the environmental impact of diets. To support older consumers in making environmentally sustainable dietary protein choices, this study aims to gain deeper understanding of older consumers’ meat consumption behavior by profiling older consumer segments on the basis of their meat consumption and liking. Results were obtained through a 2019-survey among 2,500 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or above in Finland, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Three segments of older consumers were identified by means of a two-step cluster analysis: heavy meat consumers, medium meat consumers, and light meat consumers. The segments differed significantly in several socio-demographics and background characteristics, appetite, protein intake, attitudes towards meat and plant-based ‘meat’ substitutes, and liking of protein sources other than meat. Health and sustainability food choice motives were important determinants for being classified as a medium or light meat consumer compared to a heavy meat consumer whereas food fussiness, sensory appeal, and familiarity were important determinants for being classified as a heavy meat consumer compared to a light meat consumer. Understanding older consumers’ meat consumption behavior has important implications for designing dietary strategies to meet older consumers’ protein needs in an environmentally sustainable way.     

植物基人造肉产品购买意愿及影响因素--基于武汉市消费者的实证分析

为深入了解植物基人造肉市场快速发展背景下国内消费者对人造肉产品购买的意愿及影响因素,以武汉市202位消费者调研数据为样本,构建了消费者人造肉食品购买意愿研究模型。研究发现,消费者的感知体验和感知信任对购买意愿的影响显著,但感知有用性并未对消费者购买意愿产生显著影响。价格制定、技术风险和口感风味等因素通过影响消费者感知特性间接对消费者购买意愿产生作用。其中,价格制定对消费者感知特性影响最为显著,技术风险和口感风味对消费者感知特性影响次之。该研究有助于更好地了解国内一线城市消费者对人造肉产品的购买意愿及关切。研究结论可为人造肉生产商更好地研发产品,为零售企业激发消费端的购买热情提供借鉴。     

Comparison of two different strategies for investigating individual differences among consumers in choice experiments. A case study based on preferences for iced coffee in Norway

Two different strategies for investigating individual differences among consumers in choice experiments using the Mixed Logit Model are compared. The study is based on a consumer study of iced coffees in Norway. Consumers (n = 102) performed a choice task of twenty different iced coffee profiles varying in coffee type, production origin, calorie content and price following an orthogonal design. Consumer attributes, such as socio-demographics, attitudes and habits, were also collected. Choice data were first analyzed using the Mixed Logit Model and then two different approaches were adopted for investigating consumer attributes. The first strategy, called one-step strategy, includes the consumer attributes directly in the Mixed Logit Model. The second strategy, called multi-step strategy, combines different methods of analysis such as Mixed Logit Model based on the design factors only, followed by Principal Component Analysis and Partial Least Squares regression to study consumer attributes. The two approaches are compared in terms of data analysis methodologies, outcomes, practical issues, user friendliness, and interpretation. Overall, we think the multi-step strategy is the one to be preferred in most practical applications because of its flexibility and stronger exploratory capabilities.