Web-based survey of consumer preferences for the visual appearance of meat from suckling kids

Abstract

Most suckling kids are raised on farms oriented toward cheese production, and many goat farmers’ rear kids with milk replacers. The aim of the current study was to investigate the consumer preferences for the visual appearance of meat from suckling kids reared with milk replacers or natural milk. Meat colour was the major criterion used to select meat. The meat of Cabra del Guadarrama reared with milk replacers was preferred by 72% of consumers and had a preferred lightness and hue angle. The rearing system did not influence preference through the time of display. Web-based surveys provided similar information to information recorded with live surveys using actual products instead of pictures. Meat colour appears to be a recurring intrinsic cue to assess consumer preference. In general, consumers preferred meat of light suckling kids reared on milk replacers because this meat had a high lightness and hue angle as well as a low chroma.

Highlights

• Meat colour was the major criterion used to choose meat.

• Rearing system did not influence consumer’s preference through time of display.

• Consumers preferred meat with high lightness and hue angle, and low chroma.

Keywords:

• Rearing system
• milk replacer
• colour
• visual appraisal
• muscles
• choice

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology (RTA2012-0023-C03). B. Panea, M. J. Alcalde, and G. Ripoll are members of the MARCAME network, funded by CYTED (ref. 116RT0503).