What is the preferred method for evaluating meat quality?

Sensory evaluation is the preferred method for evaluating meat quality because it encompasses the assessment of various attributes that significantly impact consumer satisfaction and preference. This method involves human panels who evaluate the meat based on characteristics such as appearance, aroma, flavor, tenderness, juiciness, and overall acceptability. Sensory evaluation captures the holistic experience of consuming meat, including how it feels in the mouth and how it tastes, aspects that cannot be adequately assessed through visual inspection, palpation, or fat analysis alone.

Visual inspection can provide information about color and marbling, but it does not reflect the taste or tenderness. Palpation might help assess texture but lacks an overall flavor profile. Fat analysis can indicate fat content but does not account for other sensory qualities that customers experience. Therefore, sensory evaluation is the most comprehensive approach for determining the quality of meat from a consumer's perspective.