SOUTHERN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS DECEMBER, 1980 CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE OF BEEF PRODUCED UNDER ALTERNATIVE FEEDING SYSTEMS

Much of the beef produced and sold in the Demand theory suggests that factors related United States before World War II was from to human health and the availability of beef grass- or limited grain-fed cattle. However, de- supplies should influence consumer beef prefer-velopment of the modern large-scale cattle ences. Consumer preference for beef from feeding industry in the 1950s and 1960s great- heavy, grain-fed cattle may have changed to an ly increased supplies of grain-fed beef and, by acceptance of beef from leaner, lighter cattle the early 1970s, many American consumers finished with greater use of forages. Therefore, found only USDA Choice beef from heavy, in 1974, Louisiana State University research-grain-fed cattle in supermarkets. Consumers ers initiated a multiphase research project to soon became conditioned to the flavor, juici- determine the consumer acceptability of beef ness, and tenderness of high quality, well- produced on high quality forage or limited marbled beef. Proponents of forage or limited grain diets. grain finishing systems found little support at Objectives of the research project were to any marketing level. determine (1) the consumer acceptability of However, during the 1970s, beef from heavy, beef from steers differing in genetic composi