The objective of this study was to identify perceived characteristics of beef which impact quality perception. Results indicate that concerns with beef related to cholesterol and calorie content, artificial ingredients, convenience characteristics, how it is displayed in the store, and expense each significantly adversely affected quality perception. 0 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Changes in consumer lifestyles and the impacts of these changes on product selection are well recognized by processors and marketers of food. Convenience and nutrition have become more important. Ready to cook, microwaveable, low sodium, low calorie, low fat, and low cholesterol are product attributes which have become more prominent on labels. Individual consumer perceptions of these and other characteristics likely affect perceived quality (overall opinion) and the resulting preference for food products. In fact, Wesenberg' states that quality outweighs price in making purchasing decisions for some food products.Specific to beef, Purcel12 suggests changes in prices of competing meats such as pork and poultry alone cannot explain the shifts in beef demand since 1979.