Effects of marbling and shear force on consumers' willingness to pay for beef strip loin steaks

Experimental economic procedures were used to measure the effects of changes in marbling score and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) value on consumer purchasing behavior and willingness to pay for beef strip loin steaks (n = 541). Consumers were more likely to bid on a steak during the experimental auction if the steak had a high marbling score or low WBSF value. Averaging across all consumers in the study (n = 489), the predicted odds that consumers would submit a nonzero bid were favorable for steaks with a marbling score greater than Modest (50) or a WBSF value less than 3.9 kg. Bid prices for steaks were analyzed with respect to changes in steak marbling score, WBSF value, quality grade marketing category classification (Select, Low Choice, Premium Choice, and Prime), and WBSF marketing category classification (very tender, [less than or equal to] 3.4 kg; slightly tender, 3.41 to 4.40 kg; slightly tough, 4.41 to 5.40 kg; or very tough, >5.40 kg). The percentage of bids that were zero was highest (P < 0.05) for Select steaks, intermediate (P < 0.05) for Low Choice steaks, and lower (P < 0.05) for Premium Choice or Prime steaks. Steaks in the very tender category had the lowest (P < 0.05) percentage of zero bids, and steaks in the slightly tough and very tough categories had the highest (P < 0.05) percentage of zero bids submitted from 'buyers' in the auction. Premium Choice and Prime steaks were valued higher (P Key Words: Beef, Marketing, Prices, Quality, Tenderness, Valuation