Attributes such as taste, tenderness and color are important to consumers, who have come to associate them with beef. That's why product enhancement research is critical to initiatives that will make the beef industry more consumer-focused. It's one of the keys to designing expectations of industry segments that will lead to greater consumer satisfaction. The research demonstrated that if a beef cut did not conform to accepted norms for the product, that non-conformance could be controlled with various processes. Through palatability enhancement at critical points in both the production phase and processing, the non-conformance rate was reduced to 6 percent in top sirloin and 1 percent in top loin.
Consistency is an important factor in improving customer satisfaction.
By minimizing the risk of producing an unsatisfactory eating experience, the beef industry can improve the product's image with consumers and increase the likelihood of future sales of that individual product. Symposia to review ways of optimizing palatability are an important way to communicate current information on fast moving research topics. Through those meetings, researchers are able to gather information on ongoing studies in their field, collaborate with colleagues and shape their research direction. Similarly, industry groups can identify how quickly technology may be available for in-field use. A field test is also underway with a regional retailer of the product scoring highest with consumers in the Phase I study.