Breed type and ageing time effects on sensory characteristics of beef strip loin steaks

Forty-two yearling males from seven European beef breeds were used to study breed type and ageing time effects on meat sensory quality. Breeds were gr ouped according to their double muscled condition (DM), dual-purpose condit ion (Brown Swiss, BS), fast growth rate (FG) and rustic characteristics (RT ). Vacuum packaged loin chops were aged for 1, 3, 7, 10, 14 and 21 days at 4 degrees C and evaluated by a trained taste panel. Ageing time had the mai n influence in all the studied sensorial descriptors. Breed type did not af fect juiciness, fibrosity or overall flavour intensity. Interactions betwee n breed type and ageing appeared in global odour intensity, tenderness (p < 0.05) and acid flavour intensity (p < 0.01). All breed types showed higher tenderness scores as ageing period increased but, comparatively, those wit h higher scores at an early postmortem period (DM, FG) showed lower scores at a late postmortem time. A possible faster, but shorter and less intensiv e meat tenderisation rate in animals with double muscled condition, and its particular collagen characteristics, in relation to BS and RT groups, coul d explain our findings. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.