Possibilities for predicting taste and tenderness of broiled beef steaks using an optical-electromechanical probe

A prototype beef-quality probe was tested on 47 strip-loin steaks evaluated by a sensory panel. The probe responded to the reflectance or back-scatter of initially polarized light from 400 to 800 nm, UV florescence of connective tissue, and electromechanical resistance to needle penetration. All three indicators contributed to predictions (p < 0.01) of tenderness (r = 0.58 for initial tenderness after 3 days aging, r = 0.57 for sustained tenderness at 3 days, r = 0.42 for initial tenderness at 21 days, and r = 0.58 for sustained tenderness at 21 days) and taste (r = 0.59 for flavor intensity at 3 days, r = 0.41 for beef flavor at 3 days, and r = 0.41 for flavor intensity at 21 days). The reflectance of initially polarized light from 440 to 600 nm appeared to contain a relatively high content of useful information, but further improvements to the prototype are required to obtain more reliable predictions for industrial use. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.