Evaluating fresh beef quality: moving towards an integrated quality indicator system

This study used Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to investigate the quality variations in fresh post-slaughter beef samples. Temperature, moisture content, conductivity, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and a* and b* values were shown to be accurate indicators of beef quality when an assessment model containing specific indicators of beef quality was verified against sensory evaluation. The L* value was used as a reference. Further research is required to validate the suitability of pH as a quality indicator. PCA identified conductivity, moisture content, and TVB-N as key determinants, with Principal Components 1 and 2 contributing 64.467% and 20.777%, respectively (cumulative: 85.244%). The model’s strong correlation with sensory evaluation supports standardized production and intelligent monitoring of fresh meat and beef.