Diversity of Japanese consumers' requirements, sensory perceptions, and eating preferences for meat

Sensory and physicochemical characteristics of Japanese jidori chicken (Choshu-Kurokashiwa) and broiler thigh meat: Effect of cooking procedure

This study aimed to investigate the effects of various cooking procedures on the sensory and physicochemical properties of Japanese jidori chicken (Choshu-Kurokashiwa) and broiler thigh meat. Thigh meats were cooked using three different procedures: grilling, boiling, and deep-frying. Subsequently, we performed sensory evaluation by a trained panel and instrumental analysis on both raw and cooked meat to determine changes in pH, shear force value, cooking loss, nucleotide metabolite contents, and proximate, free amino acid, and fatty acid composition. From the sensory evaluation, "springiness" and "chewiness" were found to be characteristics of Choshu-Kurokashiwa thigh meat among all cooking procedures. In terms of "juiciness" and "sulfur flavor," chicken breed and cooking procedure interacted, and these were considerably higher in Choshu-Kurokashiwa meat than in broiler meat only when boiling. In the instrumental analysis, Choshu-Kurokashiwa meat showed a considerably higher shear force value and lower free amino acid content than broiler meat, regardless of the cooking procedure used. Again, in terms of cooking loss, chicken breed and cooking procedure interacted, and this was considerably lower in Choshu-Kurokashiwa meat than in broiler meat only when boiling. These results showed that cooking procedure should be considered when describing the sensory characteristics of jidori thigh meat.

Sensory Evaluation of Rabbit Meat from Individuals Fed Functional and More Sustainable Diets Enriched with Freshwater Cladophora glomerata Macroalgal Biomass

Maintaining meat quality is essential to sustainable livestock management. Therefore, identifying alternative feed materials while considering consumer acceptance is crucial. So, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of C. glomerata-biomass-supplemented feeds on rabbit muscles' physical properties, sensory profiles, and evaluators' emotional responses to them. A total of thirty 52-day-old weaned Californian breed rabbits were randomly allocated to one of three dietary treatments: standard compound diet (SCD), SCD supplemented with 4% C. glomerata (CG4), or SCD supplemented with 8% C. glomerata (CG8). After the 122-day-old rabbits were slaughtered, post-mortem dissection of the rabbit Longissimus dorsi (LD) and hind leg (HL) muscles was conducted. The physical and histomorphometric features, sensory analyses, and emotional responses to the rabbit's muscles were determined. Study results revealed CG4 and CG8 treatments significantly increased rabbit muscle moisture, while CG8 increased cooking losses in HL muscles (p < 0.05). Moreover, both CG treatments reduced the darkness and redness of fresh and cooked rabbit muscles compared to SCD (p < 0.05). CG8 treatment compared to SCD resulted in longer LD muscle fibers (p < 0.05). Evaluators discovered that the average scores for each sensory description of rabbit meat are acceptable and that consuming CG8-HL muscles can increase happiness based on emotional responses. Consequently, replacing traditional feed materials in rabbit feed with C. glomerata can lead to not only more sustainable production but also more consumer-acceptable rabbit meat.

Application of Mass Spectrometry for Determining the Geographic Production Area of Wagyu Beef

Japanese Black cattle (Japanese Wagyu) beef is attracting attention for its aroma and marbling, and its handling is increasing worldwide. Here, we focused on the origin discrimination of Wagyu beef and analyzed the nutritional components of Japanese Wagyu (produced in multiple prefectures of Japan), Hybrid Wagyu (a cross between Angus and Wagyu cattle born in Australia and transported to Japan), and Australian Wagyu beef using mass spectrometry (MS). Triple-quadrupole liquid chromatography–MS was used to clarify the molecular species of lipids in Wagyu beef. Fourteen classes of lipids were separated, and 128 different triacylglycerides (TGs) were detected. A simple comparative analysis of these TGs using high-performance liquid chromatography revealed significantly higher levels of triolein (C18:1/C18:1/C18:1; abbreviated OOO) and C18:1/C18:1/C16:1 (OOPo) in Japanese Wagyu. Wagyu elements beef were comprehensively analyzed using inductively coupled plasma (ICP)–MS and ICP–optical emission spectrometry. We found significant differences in the rubidium, cesium, and lithium levels of Japanese and Australian Wagyu beef. On comparing metabolites using gas chromatography–MS, we identified significant differences in the levels of amino acids and other components of the Japanese and Australian Wagyu beef. These results suggest the possibility of determining the origin of Wagyu cattle breeds using MS and genetic discrimination.