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Timely Topic
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Most U.S. Consumers Prefer Domestic Corn-Fed Steaks over Australian Grass-Fed or Canadian Barley-Fed Steaks
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In order to compare consumer acceptance of U.S. domestic corn-fed, Canadian barley-fed, and Australian grass-fed beef, Univ. of Nebraska scientists conducted 24 taste panels (273 consumers) in Denver and Chicago. Strip steaks were evaluated for flavor, juiciness, tenderness, and overall acceptability on an 8-point scale (1=extremely undesirable; 8=extremely desirable). A silent auction was used to obtain sealed bids on steaks from the same strip loins sampled in the taste panel.
- Domestic steaks were given significantly higher (P<0.001) scores for all four palatability characteristics than Australian grass-fed steaks.
- Consumers placed an average value of $3.68/lb on domestic steaks compared to $2.48/lb on Australian grass-fed steaks (P<0.001).
- Consumers scored Canadian steaks numerically lower for juiciness (P=0.09) and significantly lower (P<0.005) for flavor, tenderness, and overall acceptability than domestic steaks.
- Consumers placed an average value of $3.95/lb for domestic steaks compared to $3.57/lb for Canadian steaks (P<0.01).
- In contrast to the majority of consumers surveyed, 19% preferred Australian grass-fed steaks, and 29% favored Canadian steaks.
The authors hypothesized that because a steady supply of corn-fed beef is available to most consumers in the U.S., Americans may have become accustomed to the flavor of corn-fed beef and therefore prefer it. They went on to say, however, that because a small proportion of American consumers preferred the imported products and was willing to pay more for them, a niche market for them may be feasible in the U.S. (Sitz et al. 2005. J. Anim. Sci. 83:2863).
[September 29th, 2006]
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Dr. Rick Rasby, Professor of Animal Science
Animal Science, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
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