Ossification score and animal age are both used as proxies for maturity-related collagen crosslinking and consequently decreases in beef tenderness. Ossification score is strongly influenced by the hormonal status of the animal and may therefore better reflect physiological maturity and consequently eating quality. As part of a broader cross-European study, local consumers scored 18 different muscle types cooked in three ways from 482 carcasses with ages ranging from 590 to 6135 days and ossification scores ranging from 110 to 590. These scores were analysed with a linear mixed effects model using the full range of data and then again separately for carcasses with lesser and greater maturity. Across all the data, and for the carcasses with greater maturity, animal age had a greater magnitude of effect on eating quality than ossification score. In contrast, age had no relationship with eating quality for carcasses with lesser maturity leaving ossification score as the more appropriate measure. This is likely due to a loss of sensitivity in mature carcasses where ossification scores are approaching the maximum value. Therefore ossification score is more appropriate for most commercial beef carcasses however it is inadequate for carcasses with greater maturity such as cull cows.