From retail shelf to plate: How ultimate pH influences Brazilian consumers' perception, purchase intent, and sensory...

The ultimate pH (pHu) is a major determinant of beef quality, influencing color, water-holding capacity, juiciness, and tenderness. Consumer responses to beef were evaluated as a function of pHu across three ranges (normal, 5.52 ± 0.03; intermediate, 6.01 ± 0.06; high, 6.31 ± 0.19), considering sensory attributes after cooking, cooking loss, shear force, and, at retail, appearance liking and purchase intention of raw beef. Two experiments were conducted: a consumer acceptance test with oven-cooked beef steaks (n = 153) and a visual acceptance test in a supermarket with raw beef steaks (n = 54). Analyses included two-way ANOVA, linear mixed models and penalty analysis (p < 0.05). In the consumer acceptance test, high-pHu beef exhibited lower cooking losses and shear force values (p < 0.05), indicating greater tenderness and juiciness, which improved overall liking (p < 0.05). Beef with intermediate pHu were the least accepted, with significant penalties associated with below-ideal texture perception. Color and flavor after oven cooking were not affected by pHu level. At retail, pHu significantly affected visual acceptance and purchase intention (p < 0.05). Intermediate-pHu beef showed greater acceptance of appearance and red intensity, while beef with high pHu was penalized for their dark color. Beef with normal pHu was perceived as "redder than ideal", also incurring penalties. Overall, high pHu improves eating quality after cooking but reduces retail appeal because of darker color, underscoring the need for tailored management in the supply chain.