Australian consumers taste test Angus and Wagyu Angus cross cattle using the MSA protocol.

The Middle East is seen as a growth area for Australian beef with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia markets having both been consistently among Australia’s top 20 most valuable beef export markets.

To better understand what type of beef Middle Eastern consumers prefer and how that compares to Australian tastebuds, researchers had 360 untrained participants from the UAE and 360 Australians evaluate 1,260 grilled samples of Aussie beef.

Consumers evaluated the tenderness, juiciness, flavour and overall liking of beef cuts including bolar blade, rump centre, eye rump side, outside flat, rump cap, striploin from purebred Angus and Wagyu Angus cross cattle using the Meat Standard Australia (MSA) protocol.

The study highlighted the similarities in consumer preferences as the highest scores for both countries were predominantly observed in the rump cap muscle, whereas the lowest scores were associated with the outside flat muscle.

MSA applicable to Middle Eastern consumers

“Currently, the MSA is the most reliable and advanced red meat grading scheme in the world, having been used in 13 countries,” Dr Peter McGilchrist one of the report authors said.

Dr Peter McGilchrist, Professor of Meat Science at the University of New England (UNE).

“However, Middle Eastern consumers primarily consume lean domestic beef, and traditional local dishes which often involve slow cooking. Whereas the MSA recommended cooking methods are grill, roast, stirfry, thinslice, slowcook, shabu shabu (a Japanese style hotpot) and yakiniku (a Japanese style grill).”

Traditionally high fat meat has not been preferred in the Middle East however there has been a steady rise in high-quality beef to that market, which is why the researchers wanted to use MSA to assess if the acceptance of high-quality beef was equal to that of domestic consumers

“We asked the question – how do Middle Eastern consumers perceive premium beef, compared to domestic Australian consumers, when the 25mm steaks are prepared using grilling methods?” Mr McGilchrist said.

Consumer taste testing samples.

The study reaffirmed the applicability of the MSA model for Middle Eastern consumers while also highlighting areas for refinement, particularly for certain muscle types like the rump cap, which exhibited superior eating quality.

Importantly, the study showed that the ranking of cuts didn’t change between countries.

This means that the samples ranked the best and worst by Australians maintained their positions as best and worst by the Middle Eastern consumers.

The study also assisted Australian beef exporters in gaining a deeper understanding of Middle Eastern consumers’ preferences within the premium quality beef segment.

“Understanding the factors influencing food acceptance and choices across various cultures, as well as identifying opportunities for successful product development that resonates globally across diverse cultures, is essential for thriving in increasingly varied and competitive markets,” David Packer, MSA Program Manager at MLA said.

“The ability for Australian brand owners to use the Eating Quality Graded (EQG) cipher on the carton label rather than a dentition, is powerful for marketing meat on quality not how many teeth it did or didn’t have.

“Not only will this important data enhance the future MSA predictions of beef, but it compliments the continued business development work that the MLA are conducting alongside brand owners in international markets.

“This further aids in differentiating Australian red meat around the world and supports the importance of educating customers around understanding eating quality and buying Australian beef beyond traditional specifications.”