Use of Poisson's Ratio for Objective‐subjective Texture Correlations in Beef. An Apparatus for Obtaining the Required Data1

A device is described for measuring the transverse deformation of cylindrical samples during axial compression. The device is fitted to an Instron Universal Testing Instrument and requires only standard Instron electronics and data recording systems. Calculations showing that the transverse deflection gives a good estimate of Poisson's ratio are valid for both isotropic and anisotropic materials. Correlation coefficients for magnitude estimates of three sensory texture attributes in beef increase from 0.5 to 0.9 when Poisson's ratio is substituted for the uniaxial “modulus of elasticity.” This indicates that Poisson's ratio may be a very promising objective parameter for predicting the sensory texture quality in meat.