Invitation to participate in beef study

Consumers of beef are invited to participate in a research study to investigate consumer behaviors regarding fresh red meat product handling. The study is being conducted by Derek Griffing, Ph.D. student, under the direction of Christy Bratcher, associate professor in the College of Agriculture’s Department of Animal Sciences.

“A critical problem in the field of meat science is the lack of understanding of consumer handling practices during transport from retail to residence and the subsequent effect on desired palatability traits such as tenderness, juiciness and flavor,” said Griffing.

The study, entitled “The ‘Consumer Cold-Chain’: Evaluation Of Consumer Handling Behaviors on Fresh Beef Products During Vehicular Transport from Retail to Residence and the Implications on Palatability and Food Safety,” is designed to investigate consumer behaviors regarding fresh beef product handling during the period of transport from retail to residence. Responses to the survey are voluntary and confidential.

The survey, which takes less than three minutes to complete, is available here.