On 13th February 2023, a sensory analysis was carried out in Bourgoin-Jallieu to assess the organoleptic characteristics of Blonde d’Aquitaine beef. The analysis concerned its attractiveness, palatability, pleasantness and richness.
The study was led by qualified judges of Istituto Italiano Assaggiatori Carne – De Gustibus Carnis and the sensory experts of Good Senses Srl.
A panel of 19 judges, made of both beef professionals (breeders, butchers, technicians) and consumers, either from Italy or France, was called upon to give their own visual, olfactory and retrolfactory judgement, and had at their disposal a technical sheet to report their perceptions of the meat, based on the descriptors they were given.
The sensory analysis involved five samples of Blonde d’Aquitaine meat from cattle of different ages and sex and coming either from Italy or France and was conducted in such a way that the judges did not know which sample they were testing.
Thanks to this test, it was possible to draw an even more precise and complete picture of the perception, on several sensory levels, of the Blonde d’Aquitaine product. A first for this beef cattle breed.
Quality results
Although the samples analysed were taken from animals of different ages, raised according to different diets, they conveyed the panel common feelings due to the genetics and quality of the meat:
- at visual level, the samples showed a common fineness and compactness of the fibres.
- at olfactory level, the intense aromas of fat and fresh meat of the raw meat samples and the scarcity of aromas linked to iron, blood and cereals of the cooked meat samples were perceived.
In conclusion, the analyses have shown and confirmed the intrinsic properties of Blonde d’Aquitaine meat, which make it a product of unmistakable superior quality, aroma and taste. It was also a moment particularly appreciated by all the participants.
