A model relating a function of tenderness, juiciness, flavour and overall liking to the eating quality of sheep meat

Abstract

A probabilistic model of consumer perception of sheep meat eating quality is constructed on the basis of a sensory score derived from consumer evaluation of tenderness, juiciness, flavour and overall liking. The model includes consideration of the variability of the sensory score within a mob, the probability that meat with a given sensory score will be perceived by the consumer as correctly classified, and the distribution of the average sensory score within an eating quality grade. Based on this information the model can calculate the frequency with which sheep meat given a sensory score that will fail to meet the consumer expectation of the allocated eating quality grade. The model provides a basis for integrating the information gathered on sheep meat eating quality to formulate a method of classification and to quantify the reliability of this classification. This information can be applied in a variety of ways to evaluate the efficacy, financial or otherwise, of a retailer adopting a given sheep meat eating quality classification based on the nominated eating quality score.