DEVELOPING objective measurements of specific flavour volatiles in beef would be the next step of investment in sensory science for the industry, says one of the country's leading experts in the field.
Associate professor Heather Smyth, from the University of Queensland, said that would pave the way for cattle operations to understand the impact of changes around genetics, feeding regimes and management systems on the flavours in their end product.
"Then we can make business decisions to enhance the flavours we want," she said.
"That's exactly what grape growers do. They make decisions on which yeast to use, knowing that a cool climate chardonnay will release certain types of volatiles when exposed to this yeast."
Dr Smyth was behind the innovative Wagyu flavour wheel, commissioned by Australia's largest beef producer AACo for its top-tier Wagyu brand Westholme.
She presented an overview of how, and why, the wheel was created at this year's Australian Wagyu Association conference in Melbourne.
There are more than 800 flavour volatiles present in beef - similar, incidentally, to wine. Both are considered to have a complex flavour profile, Dr Smyth explained.
The variation across beef products was enormous and it was a landscape not well understood, she said.
Those flavour volatiles are influenced by an plethora of factors including animal genetics, age, gender and condition, along with the environment in which they are raised, their diet, and management practices.
Also coming into play post the farmgate is muscle type, method of slaughter, post-slaughter handling, packaging and time on shelf.
"All of these factors create a wealth of volatile aroma pre-cursors ready to be liberated on cooking," Dr Smyth said.
"This is what goes into determining what the flavour signature of a beef brand actually delivers."
ALSO IN BEEF:
800 ways to describe beef
The building of the Westholme Wagyu flavour wheel with AACo was about providing valuable information for the restaurant trade - it was designed to help give chefs a point of difference.
From tender and juicy to tart, caramelised, fibrous, intense, peppery - there are 800 flavour descriptors on the wheel.
"It's about selling more Wagyu by educating consumers on the finer details of the flavours of the beef," Dr Smyth said.
It began with creating a selection of samples of AACo product, covering different cuts, marbling and cooking methods.
A panel of tasters came up with language to describe the sensory differences they experienced and to measure those differences on scales.
"From that we developed product descriptions for the different cuts and marbling grades so AACo could use those in branding to describe the taste, texture and flavour," Dr Smyth said.
"One of the great benefits of the work for AACo is to have an understanding of the baseline parameters in their beef so that when they want to trial new regimes they can compare back and see if they have impacted the flavour of their product."
Provenance
The sensory science work in beef was largely about applying the principles of provenance, Dr Smyth said.
Originally associated with works of art, the concept more recently has been applied to food to imply aspects like origin, safety, sensory quality, point of difference, premium value and price point.
"It's almost a romantic marketing tale about the product that conveys to the consumer value," Dr Smyth said.
It needs to be tied to specific and recognisable consumer qualities, she said.
Champagne was perhaps the best example. Made from grapes grown in a particular geographical location in France, the word champagne can only be used for the product that comes from grapes of that region - otherwise the product is called sparkling wine.
Provenance is applied widely in wine and coffee and can certainly be applied to beef, Prof Smyth said.
- This article will feature in ACM's special Carcase Merit print publication in July.