Evaluacion de los atributos principales de calidad de la carne de res de origen local e importada, segun se ofrece al consumidor

Beef consumed in Puerto Rico comes principally from the United States and Central America and it is believed that the quality is better than the local product. In this investigation three beef muscles (longissimus dorsi, semitendinosus and semimembranosus) from three origins (United States, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico) obtained at three supermarket chains of the Mayaguez City were analyzed for their quality attributes (tenderness, color, juiciness and fat content). Based on the results, it was concluded the following: (1) The country of origin had significant effect on the tenderness of the cooked meat (P < 0.05) measured with the Warner Bratzler (WB) and sensory panel. The means showed that the meat from United States of America (USA) and Costa Rica (CR) were tenderer than that from Puerto Rico (PR). (2) A significant difference (P < 0.05) was found in the amount of fat in the muscle by country. Meat from the USA had the highest level of intramuscular fat content. (3) Warner Braztler and sensorial panel measurements showed the longissimus dorsi (loin eye) muscle as the most tender (P < 0.05). (4) The sensory panel indicated that the semimembranosus (top round) was the least tender muscle (P < 0.05).