Cross-Cultural Consumer Acceptability and Purchase Intent of Forage-Finished Rib-Eye Steaks

• Published in: Journal of food science 2015-10, Vol.80 (10), p.S2287-S2295
• Main Authors: Torrico, Damir Dennis, Wardy, Wisdom, Pujols, Kairy Dharali, Carabante, Kennet Mariano, Jirangrat, Wannita, Scaglia, Guillermo, Janes, Marlene E., Prinyawiwatkul, Witoon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acceptability; African Americans; Animal Feed; Animal Husbandry - methods; Animals; Asian; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Beef; Cattle; Commerce; consumer acceptance; Consumer attitudes; Consumer Behavior; Consumption; Cooking; Cross-Cultural Comparison; cross-cultural populations; Cultural differences; Diet; Ethnic Groups; European Continental Ancestry Group; Flavoring Agents; Flavours; Food science; forage-finished beef; Forages; Heating; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Intention; Odorants; Ora; purchase intent; Red Meat; rib-eye steaks; Ribs; Taste; United States
• ISSN: 0022-1147; 1750-3841
• DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.12999

Rib‐eye steaks, from 3 forage‐finished systems (S1, S2, and S3) and 1 commercial steak (C), either cooked by 1‐sided‐grilling or 2‐sided‐grilling, were evaluated for sensory acceptability [overall appearance (ORA) and overall appearance of fat (OAF) for raw steaks; overall appearance (OCA), overall beef aroma (OBA), overall beef flavor (OBF), juiciness, tenderness and overall liking (OL) for cooked steaks] and purchase intent by Hispanic, Asian and U.S. consumers. They also indicated preferred degree of doneness and cooking methods. Cross‐cultural differences in preferences and consumer acceptability of rib‐eye steaks were observed. Grilling was the most preferred cooking method. Hispanics and Asians preferred medium and/or medium well, while U.S. consumers preferred medium and/or medium rare. For cooked steaks, the population effect was significant for all sensory attributes; Asians generally scored lower than did Hispanics and U.S. consumers. C and S3 generally had higher scores for all sensory attributes across 3 populations. Purchase intent for all forage‐finished steaks was higher for Hispanics and U.S. consumers compared to Asians (50.0% to 77.8% compared with 43.2% to 65.9%). Attributes influencing purchase intent of forage‐finished steaks differed among populations: tenderness (odds ratio = 1.4) for Hispanics, OCA (odds ratio = 1.5) for Asians, and OBF (odds ratio = 1.3) for U.S. consumers. Overall, this study demonstrated that the type of forage‐finished system and ethnic differences influenced sensory acceptability and purchase intent of forage‐finished rib‐eye steaks. Practical Application Demand for forage‐finished beef has increased worldwide due to its potential health benefits. Little is known regarding the cross‐cultural effects on the consumer acceptance of forage‐finished beef. We evaluated sensory acceptance and purchase intent of raw and cooked forage‐finished rib‐eye steaks using Hispanic, Asian, and U.S. (White and African American) populations. This study demonstrated that consumer acceptability and purchase intent of forage‐finished rib‐eye steaks differed among Hispanic, Asian, and U.S. populations. This information can be used to guide development and marketing strategies for beef products.