Source: MEATINGPLACE, 3/23/17

A Kansas State University study has found the marbling texture of steak makes no difference to consumers, countering the notion that people prefer to buy finely marbled meat.

"Marbling texture had no impact on the consumer's perception of beef, not only from a visual standpoint but when they ate it as well," said KSU meat scientist Travis O’Quinn, calling the finding surprising.

Finely marbled steak has smaller flecks but the same amount of fat as coarse marbled beef, O’Quinn said.
The finding is significant because about 80 percent of the more than 100 branded beef programs available to consumers do not accept coarsely marbled beef, he said.

The research, thought to be the first scientific study to look at the impact of marbling on consumer preference, evaluated steaks that fell into three marbling categories — coarse, medium and fine — in three quality grades — top choice, low choice and select — for a total of nine steak treatments.

Each of the samples was tested by a consumer panel and a trained sensory panel, which were asked to evaluate the steaks for tenderness, juiciness and how much beef flavor was present. The consumers also were asked how much they liked the steak overall.

"Our results showed that when we fed consumers the beef, they found no difference among the different marbling texture groups,” O’Quinn said. “They did find differences between choice and select, which we expected; they told us the choice was more tender, more flavorful and they liked it better overall."

The trained sensory panels did indicate that coarse marbled steaks were more juicy and flavorful than fine and medium marbled steaks, a finding that differed from the consumer panels.

Consumers also completed an online study in which they viewed pictures of the steaks.
"The results were the same," he said. "The consumers showed no preference for one marbling texture over another."

The data could affect how branded beef programs are managed in the future, O’Quinn said.

"If consumers aren't willing to pay more for fine- or medium-texture beef, and they don't taste the difference, then there's really no reason to discriminate against those coarse marbled steaks," O'Quinn said. "If you're going to create a new branded beef program in the future, maybe you won't include marbling texture as part of your program's specifications."

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