What determines meat quality?

• A. Bad odor and discoloration
• B. Marbling, tenderness, color
• C. Marbling
• D. Color only

Answer: (B)

Meat quality is judged by eating quality and how it looks to a consumer. The best answer includes marbling, tenderness, and color because all three steps together capture what people notice and how the meat will perform when eaten.

Marbling, or intramuscular fat, boosts juiciness and flavor and often improves perceived tenderness since fat lubricates the muscle fibers during chewing. Tenderness is about how easily the meat fibers break down and how tender the bite feels, influenced by muscle structure, connective tissue, and aging. Color is the visual cue for freshness and proper handling; a bright, appealing color signals quality to the shopper and can change how the other attributes are perceived.

The other options miss parts of the picture: bad odor and discoloration point to spoilage rather than quality; focusing only on marbling ignores tenderness and color; focusing only on color ignores marbling and tenderness.