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 fluorescence 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.