STATISTICAL ASPECT OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE MEASUREMENTS OF MEAT TENDERNESS

ABSTRACT— The importance of obtaining a high degree of correlation between instrumental method and sensory evaluation is apparent when we are searching for a method to replace the conventional and expensive taste panel test. Unfortunately, discouraging results have been reported in regard to the degree of their correlation. Attempts have been made to clearly define what is actually being measured in both the objective and subjective methods. However, few reports have dealt with methods of data analysis. The purpose of our study was to present a method of analysis of data for removing sources of variation influencing objective and subjective measurements. Statistical models were developed for the Warner-Bratzler and taste panel methods of tenderness evaluation. It was found that by expressing the experimental data as a deviation from their contemporary mean, extraneous sources of variation were minimized, resulting in a substantial improvement in the degree of correlation as theoretically expected. A contemporary mean is defined as an average value derived from observations collected in the same substratum which is assumed to be homogeneous by virtue of proper experimental design.