Periodic Reporting for period 1 - mEATquality (Linking extensive husbandry practices to the intrinsic quality of pork and broiler meat)
Période du rapport: 2021-10-01 au 2023-03-31
To achieve this a variety of production systems will be assessed, ranging from conventional to organic and from intensive to extensive. Stakeholders in the broiler and pork production chain will be involved: farmers, slaughterhouses, meat processors and retailers.
In WP1 Pig Husbandry and WP2 Poultry husbandry, survey of the variation in husbandry factors that may affect meat quality are performed. Data is collected on up to 20 farms in each of 4 large pig producing countries: Italy and Spain (for organic pig farming) and Poland and Denmark (conventional pig farming). In 2 large broiler producing countries, Poland and Germany, 60 farmers are identified and data is collected. The Netherlands was excluded from farm visits due to ongoing Avian Influenza outbreaks, which led to more work done in Poland and Germany. The selected farms differ in the extensiveness of their husbandry practices. Production data, environmental information, economic data and animal welfare will be assessed in the next reporting period.
In the WP on product and chain, a literaterure review has been written the state-of-the-art information on the relationships between husbandry practices, intrinsic product quality and meat authenticity. this is combined with food fraud vulnerability assessments to identify factors that are important to ensure authenticity along the meat chain.
In addition, meat quality assessments protocols are developed and standardized across the different laboratories.
An inventory of consumer perception of meat quality characteristics has been performed by the consumer WP and is submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.
Also consumer acceptance and expectations of Blockchain Technology has been investigated through consumer surveys, and a scientific manuscript of this work is submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.
The data warehouse has been set-up which is used to store all collected data through the project.
A communication strategy is developed and communication tools like a website, newletters and promotion material has been produced and are disseminated.
Step 2: will include controlled experiments on-farm to investigate intrinsic meat quality characteristics in relation to husbandry factors such as genetics, feed, space and stress. It will also develop innovative techniques for automated meat quality assessment at high line speeds, and combat food fraud through authentication of the final product via ‘fingerprinting techniques’ and Blockchain technology.
Step 3: will check the novel farming practices against sustainability aspects: animal welfare, life cycle assessments and economic viability. Market acceptance of the new products and ways to communicate them to consumers will be studied.
Step 4: and final step will communicate and disseminate the results.