The Study
Identifying Premium-Quality Beef in the United States—A Comparison of Beef Palatability from Grain-Finished Young and Mature Beef Cattle with Varying Marbling Scores
This study looked at different kinds of beef and found that beef from older cows tends to be less tender than beef from younger cows, especially if it doesn't have much marbling. But it didn't change anything—it just watched what was already there—so we can't say the age definitely caused the difference.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested if beef from older cows (over 30 months) tastes as good as beef from younger cows when both are fed grain. They looked at how tender, juicy, and flavorful the steaks were, and how much people would pay for them.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — if you feed older cows grain and they get good marbling, their steak can be just as good as premium young beef, and people will pay nearly as much for it.
- 2When the meat had lots of marbling (fat streaks), older cows made steaks just as tasty as younger ones.
- 3But without much marbling, older cow meat was tougher.
- 4The machine that measures tenderness didn’t match what people actually felt — it was fooled by fat, not toughness.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Foods
Year
2025
Authors
Taylor B. McKinzie, A. Garmyn, C. McKinzie, M. Koohmaraie, J. Legako, D. R. Woerner, Mark F Miller
Related Content
Claims (6)
Cattle fed grain have more fat inside their muscle tissue, and the meat from these cattle is perceived as less tough.
Beef with higher intramuscular fat content, as measured by marbling scores, is consistently rated by consumers as more tender, flavorful, and acceptable to eat, regardless of the age of the cattle.
Beef from older cattle over 30 months old, when fed a grain diet and with sufficient marbling, is rated by consumers as equally tasty and worth the same price as beef from younger cattle.
Consumers pay more for beef based on how tender and flavorful it tastes, rather than on visual grading standards like marbling or age.
Beef from cattle older than 30 months has less tender strip loin meat when the marbling is moderate to slightly abundant, but does not change how juicy, flavorful, or pleasant the taste is.
In beef from older cattle, the mechanical measurement of force needed to cut the meat does not accurately reflect how tender consumers find it, because this measurement is more closely related to fat content than to actual tenderness.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.