Marbling, feed and breed in Australian beef
What it found
In grilled beef striploins, more marbling went with stronger grilled beef flavour, more sweetness and less sourness and astringency.
Tenderness and juiciness also rose with marbling.
What they found
Grass versus grain
When intramuscular fat was above about 5%, samples from grass-fed and grain-fed Angus cattle differed only a little.
Wagyu versus Angus
After adjusting for intramuscular fat, Wagyu samples had more intense flavour and scored higher for tenderness and juiciness than Angus grass-fed samples.
Flavour with marbling
Grilled beef flavour, dairy fat and sweetness all increased as marbling rose, while sourness and astringency fell.
Tenderness and juiciness
Tenderness and juiciness increased with marbling and were linked to Warner-Bratzler peak force measurements.
Flavour chemistry
The trained panel's flavour differences matched increases in aroma volatiles and changes in nonvolatile flavour compounds.
Fatty acids
Unsaturated fatty acids with potential health benefits, vaccenic, oleic and rumenic acids, increased with the level of marbling.
What the authors conclude
- They report that inherent differences between grass- and grain-fed Angus samples were minimal when intramuscular fat was above about 5%.
- They found that Wagyu samples had more intense flavour and higher tenderness and juiciness than Angus grass-fed samples after adjusting for intramuscular fat.
How it was done
They tested 42 grilled beef striploins from Southern Australia: Angus grass-fed yearlings, Angus grain-finished steers and Wagyu grass-fed heifers, covering a wide range of marbling. A trained panel scored the sensory qualities and the flavour chemistry was measured.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The panel scores are for these 42 striploins from Southern Australia, so they may not apply to other cuts, breeds or farming systems.
- The study measured eating qualities and flavour compounds, not health outcomes in people.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- The University of Melbourne, Australia
The paper
- Title
- Sensory and Flavor Chemistry Characteristics of Australian Beef: Influence of Intramuscular Fat, Feed, and Breed
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Frank D, Ball A, Hughes J, et al (2016). Sensory and Flavor Chemistry Characteristics of Australian Beef: Influence of Intramuscular Fat, Feed, and Breed. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.6b00160PubMed 27118482DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error