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The detection of biogenic amines released from degraded meats is an effective method for evaluating meat freshness. However, existing traditional methods like titration are deemed tedious, while the use of sophisticated analytical instruments is not amenable to field testing. Herein, a cyanostilbene-based fluorescent array was rapidly fabricated using macroarray synthesis on a cellulose paper surface to detect amines liberated from spoiled beef, fish, and chicken. The fluorescence changes of immobilized molecules from the interaction with gaseous amines were used to monitor changes in freshness levels. Thanks to the high-throughput nature of macroarray synthesis, a set of highly responsive molecules such as pyridinium and dicyanovinyl moieties were quickly revealed. Importantly, this method offers flexibility in sensing applications including (1) sensing by individual sensor molecules, where the fluorescence response correlated well with established titration methods, and (2) collective sensing whereby chemometric analysis was used to provide a cutoff of freshness with 73-100% accuracy depending on meat types. Overall, this study paves the way for a robust and cost-effective tool for monitoring meat freshness., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

The British Nutrition Foundation convened a roundtable event in January 2024 entitled 'Meat and the Future of Sustainable Diets: Turning Challenges into Opportunities', bringing together multi-sector stakeholders to discuss the social, nutritional, public health and environmental aspects of meat consumption within a sustainable food system. Participants explored the challenge of the complexity of balancing nutrition and planetary goals, emphasising the need to navigate trade-offs between various dimensions of sustainability. Whilst recognising the global nature of the issue, the roundtable primarily focussed on a UK perspective. The discussion highlighted the urgency of transforming the food system to achieve net zero, whilst ensuring broader environmental benefits, nutritional adequacy and dietary and health equity across all life stages. Concerns about poor dietary patterns, particularly among vulnerable groups were raised, with participants stressing the need for policies that promote healthy, sustainable and equitable diets without worsening inequalities. These policies should also enhance livelihoods and community wellbeing, foster resilience and support local economies. On the supply side, participants called for better data within the agri-food system, particularly at the farm level. They advocated for a multidimensional, holistic approach that goes beyond greenhouse gas emissions to encompass wider environmental impacts and whole-farm benefits, such as enhancing soil health, promoting biodiversity, improving water management, supporting nutrient cycling and boosting farm-level resilience through diversified cropping systems. Roundtable participants acknowledged existing recommendations to reduce meat consumption for both environmental reasons, such as land use and greenhouse gas emissions, and health concerns, as evidence links red, particularly processed, meat consumption with increased colorectal cancer risk. Given the variation in meat consumption globally and even locally between individuals, the discussion explored the potential of targeted campaigns to reduce high meat intake, along with the role of public food procurement and the food industry in decreasing processed meat consumption. The consensus was that dietary changes must be framed within the context of a balanced diet and broader sustainability concerns. Despite some differing viewpoints on implementation, participants agreed that transitioning to healthier, more sustainable diets is a priority. Collaboration across the entire food chain, from farm to fork, with investment in innovation, robust data collection and research, alongside policy support, was emphasised as essential to achieving this goal., (© 2024 The Author(s). Nutrition Bulletin published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Nutrition Foundation.)

Salbutamol (SAL) can cause potential hazards to human health and its use as a growth promoter in meat-producing animals is illegal. This work reports a novel approach for competitive paper-based colorimetric immunoassay (PCI) using the Ag 3 PO 4 /Ag nanocomposite as label for sensitive and specific determination of SAL in flesh of swine and urine. The Ag 3 PO 4 /Ag nanocomposite was synthesized by a one-step chemical bath method, which could instantly oxidize a chromogenic substrate for the color development under acidic conditions without the participation of H 2 O 2 . This approach provides high affinity between the Ag 3 PO 4 /Ag nanocomposite and the substrate (with the Michaelis-Menten constant of 0.44 mM). In addition, the fabrication process of the PCI was simple and cost-effective. Particularly, the novel PCI also exhibits simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the fabrication process through a simple wax screen-printing, which requires inexpensive equipment and material including a screen, wax, a squeegee, and a hair dryer. Under optimal conditions, the competitive PCI exhibited a linearity range of 0.025 to 1.00 µg/L. The developed approach offers advantages over the conventional ELISA for the purpose of routine use because it requires a shorter incubation time (<1 hr), significantly small volumes of reagents and samples (<100 µL each), and an inexpensive consumer-grade digital camera coupled with a simple gray-scale transformation of the RGB (Red Green Blue) color image for the purpose of quantification of the detection. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Salbutamol (SAL) can cause potential hazards to human health and the use of which as growth promoter in meat-producing animals is illegal. This work introduces a novel approach for competitive immunoassay on paper-based colorimetric immunoassay using the Ag 3 PO 4 /Ag nanocomposite as the label (instead of using natural enzyme) for low-cost, sensitive, and specific determination of SAL residues at low level in flesh of swine and urine samples. The proposed approach offers advantages over the conventional ELISA for the purpose of routine use., (© 2019 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with subsequent chemometric evaluation was performed for the rapid and non-destructive differentiation of seven important meat-associated microorganisms, namely Brochothrix thermosphacta DSM 20171 T , Pseudomonas fluorescens DSM 4358, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica sv. Enteritidis DSM 14221, Listeria monocytogenes DSM 19094, Micrococcus luteus DSM 20030 T , Escherichia coli HB101 and Bacillus thuringiensis sv. israelensis DSM 5724. A simple method for collecting spectra from commercial paper-based SERS substrates without any laborious pre-treatments was used. In order to prepare the spectroscopic data for classification at genera level with a subsequent chemometric evaluation consisting of principal component analysis and discriminant analysis, a data pre-processing method with spike correction and sum normalisation was performed. Because of the spike correction rather than exclusion, and therefore the use of a balanced data set, the multivariate analysis of the data is significantly resilient and meaningful. The analysis showed that the differentiation of meat-associated microorganisms and thereby the detection of important meat-related pathogenic bacteria was successful on genera level and a cross-validation as well as a classification of ungrouped data showed promising results, with 99.5% and 97.5%, respectively., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cultured meat, which involves growing meat in a laboratory rather than breeding animals, offers potential benefits in terms of sustainability, health, and animal welfare compared to conventional meat production. However, the cultured meat production process involves several stages, each with potential hazards requiring careful monitoring and control. Microbial contamination risks exist in the initial cell collection from source animals and the surrounding environment. During cell proliferation, hazards may include chemical residues from media components such as antibiotics and growth factors, as well as microbial issues from improper bioreactor sterilization. In the differentiation stage where cells become muscle tissue, potential hazards include residues from scaffolding materials, microcarriers, and media components. Final maturation and harvesting stages risk environmental contamination from nonsterile conditions, equipment, or worker handling if proper aseptic conditions are not maintained. This review examines the key microbiological and chemical hazards that must be monitored and controlled during the manufacturing process for cultured meats. It describes some conventional and emerging novel techniques that could be applied for the detection of microbial and chemical hazards in cultured meat. The review also outlines the current evolving regulatory landscape around cultured meat and explains how thorough detection and characterization of microbiological and chemical hazards through advanced analytical techniques can provide crucial data to help develop robust, evidence-based food safety regulations specifically tailored for the cultured meat industry. Implementing new digital food safety methods is recommended for further research on the sensitive and effective detection of microbiological and chemical hazards in cultured meat., (© 2024 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

The objective of the study was to investigate how substituting fish meal (FM) with mealworm larval (Tenebrio molitor L.) meal (TM) in the diet affects the growth performance, meat quality, nutrient digestibility, and carcass of broiler chicks. A total of one hundred chicks were divided into five groups, each containing twenty birds. The fish meal was replaced with mealworm meal at different levels of 25% (TM25), 50% (TM50), 75% (TM75), and 100% (TM100) in the diets. At the end of the study, replacing different levels the fish meal with mealworms linearly suppressed nutrient digestion, growth, carcass parameters, and water holding capacity and cooking loss. However, the best energy efficiency ratios were obtained in the TM100 group. Consequently, it was concluded that replacement of FM with mealworm up to 25% had no adverse effect on growth performance, carcass parameters, meat quality and nutrient utilization efficiency of broiler chickens., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics approval All experimental procedures using birds were conducted following the European Guidelines for Care and Use of Animals for Research Purpose, and they were approved by the Local Ethics Committee for Animal Testing of the Aydın Adnan Menderes University (64583101/2021/027). Conflict of interest The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

This study aimed to evaluate fattening performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and leg bone traits in geese reared under an intensive production system, depending on genotypes. In the study, a total of 210 goslings (70 goslings for each genotype such as Linda, Toulouse, and Mast) were obtained from 168-week-old breeders. The geese were fed ad libitum with the same feeds during 12 weeks. Then, 5 males and 5 females from each goose genotype (30 birds in total) were slaughtered to determine the carcass, meat, and bone properties. The fattening performance, carcass properties, relative organ weights, and proximate analyses of breast and thigh meats did not differ among the genotype groups. The relative abdominal fat percentage weight was the highest in the Mast geese among the examined genotypes. Dry matter and crude protein values in meat were affected by genotype. The liver compositions, such as dry matter, crude fat, and crude protein, was significantly different from breast and thigh meat. It was found that the meat of Toulouse and Linda genotypes had lower SFA, n6/n3, and TI values, but higher MUFA, UFA, and crude protein values, making them superior to the meat of the Mast genotype. In the thigh meat, it was determined that lower SFA, AI, and TI values, and higher MUFA and UFA values, made it superior to the breast meat. In goose liver, DFA, NF and TI values were higher than the other tissues. Interactions were observed in the chemical composition and some fatty acids (P < 0.05). The femur and metatarsus bones of the Linda genotype were more durable than those of the Mast genotype due to their lower Robusticity indexes of femur and metatarsus bones. These results show that Linda and Toulouse geese are superior to the Mast genotype in terms of valuable fatty acids under intensive fattening. Additionally, the superior bone strength of Linda geese indicates that bone-related problems will be less common when this genotype is raised under intensive conditions., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

There is much interest in cultured (cultivated) meat as a potential solution to concerns over the ecological and environmental footprint of food production, especially from animal-derived food products. The aim of this critical review is to undertake a structured analysis of existing literature to (i) identify the range of materials that could be used within the cultured meat process; (ii) explore the potential biological and chemical food safety issues that arise; (iii) identify the known and also novel aspects of the food safety hazard portfolio that will inform hazard analysis and risk assessment approaches, and (iv) position a responsible innovation framework that can be utilized to mitigate food safety concerns with specific emphasis on cultured meat. Although a number of potential food safety hazards are identified that need to be considered within a food safety plan, further research is required to validate and verify that these food safety hazards have been suitably controlled and, where possible, eliminated. The responsible innovation framework developed herein, which extends beyond hazard analysis and traditional risk assessment approaches, can be applied in multiple contexts, including this use case of cultured meat production., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Food Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Institute of Food Technologists.)

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dried cafeteria leftover food (DCLF) incorporation in growing APRI rabbit diets on nutrient digestibility, live body weight, body weight gain, carcass traits, meat quality, blood parameters, and economic efficiency. Thirty-six APRI rabbits (6 weeks of age), after weaning, were randomly divided into three groups (12 rabbits/group, 613 ± 5 g). During the experiment, rabbits aged 6-14 weeks participated in the experiment. An approximate isocaloric and isonitrogenous composition was achieved in three pelleted experimental diets. For the rabbit groups D1 (as the control), D2, and D3, DCLF was added at doses of 0%, 17.5%, and 35%, respectively. Digestibility trails were carried out at the end of the feeding experiment to evaluate the nutritional and feeding values of the experimental diets. To examine the characteristics of the carcasses, the quality of the meat, the histopathological analysis, and the blood plasma parameters, three rabbits were slaughtered from each group. The results showed that the feeding values (TDN and DE), which had the greatest values, as well as the digesting coefficients for dry matter, organic matter, crude fiber, and ether extract between the D1 and D3 groups were significantly different (p < 0.05). On the contrary, the curde protein, nitrogen-free extract, and digestible crude protein of the examined diets showed no signifcant differences compared with the control diet. The level of DCLF incorporation in diets significantly (p < 0.05) increased the live body weight at 14 weeks; with D3 recording the highest values (2130.9 g) when compared to the D1 and D2 groups. A similar pattern was observed for both daily increase and total body gain (6-14 weeks). Feed conversion recorded insignificant differences among the experimental diets respecting the period 6-14 weeks of age. DCLF levels had a significant effect on dressing and giblet percentages. The chemical composition and color parameters of rabbit meat were similar (p > 0.05), except for fat%, which had the highest value in the D3 group (p < 0.05) compared to the D1 and D2 groups. Economic efficiency was improved by using DLCF up to 35% in terms of gross margin and feed cost/kg gain. In conclusion, using DCLF in the feeding system of rabbits could enhance productive performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and physiological function, as well as improve economic efficiency., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Minimally processed ready-to-eat products are considered a high-risk food because of the possibility of contamination with pathogenic bacteria, including Listeria monocytogenes from the animal reservoir, and the minimal processing they undergo. In this study, a sakacin-A anti-Listeria active package was developed and tested on thin-cut veal meat slices (carpaccio)., Results: Enriched food-grade sakacin-A was obtained from a cell-free supernatant of a Lactobacillus sakei culture and applied (0.63 mg cm -2 ) onto the surface of polyethylene-coated paper sheets to obtain an active antimicrobial package. The coating retained antimicrobial features, indicating that the process did not affect sakacin-A functionality, as evidenced in tests carried out in vitro. Thin-cut veal meat slices inoculated with Listeria innocua (a surrogate of pathogenic L. monocytogenes) were laid on active paper sheets. After 48 h incubation at 4 °C, the Listeria population was found to be 1.5 log units lower with respect to controls (3.05 vs 4.46 log colony-forming units (CFU) g -1 )., Conclusion: This study demonstrates the possibility of using an antimicrobial coating containing sakacin-A to inhibit or decrease the Listeria population in ready-to-eat products, thus lowering the risk of food-related diseases. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2016 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)

Meat has been important to human survival and personal enjoyment for thousands of years, and as societies become more affluent, the amount and quality of meat consumed increases. Ancient Egyptians are known to have consumed ground meat, whereas the Greeks and Romans enjoyed various types of sausages. Ground meat has been consumed throughout the world under various names and for several centuries. However, in recent years, microbial meat safety has become a major concern, and it appears that meat safety challenges will persist in future years. This paper provides a brief historical account of selected developments in microbiology, meat science, and safety, and associated industrial and regulatory highlights, and a brief overview of current and future food safety issues, concerns, and challenges.

Discoveries, understanding, and innovations in meat science during the last century have led to revolutionary changes in meat and poultry production, processing, marketing, and consumption. American Society of Animal Science members have made key contributions in most, if not all, categories of advancement. The first US university meat science program was begun in Minnesota in 1905. Use of mechanical refrigeration in the meatpacking industry, improved transportation and packaging, and home refrigeration provided more flexibility, variety, and consistency in meat and meat products in the early 1900s. Cooperative meat research was begun by 27 universities in 1925, with a focus on the observational characterization of carcass traits and composition, meat quality attributes, and causes of the wide variation in these variables. Scientific study of genetic, nutritional, and environmental influences on the growth, physiology, and postmortem biochemistry of muscle often used muscle-comparative investigations. Rigor mortis, cold shortening and thaw rigor, postmortem muscle metabolism, postmortem tenderization and tenderness variation, and postmortem myoglobin and lipid oxidation were studied vigorously in the 1960s and beyond, defining the biochemical bases for associated outcomes in fresh and processed products. Value-added benefits resulted from implementation of electrical stimulation, boxed beef and modified-atmosphere packaging, restructuring technologies, collagen recovery, and muscle profiling work. Isolation, purification, and definition of the primary structure and biophysical properties of the myofribillar and cytoskeletal proteins in muscle aided the understanding of contraction and postmortem changes. The role of Ca-dependent proteases in meat tenderness and muscle growth is being clarified. The chemistry of meat curing, meat emulsion formation, fermentation, and other processing methods led to new technologies, new meat products, and new benchmarks in product shelf life and quality. Meat safety assurance and our ability to manage the microbiological causes of food-borne illness and spoilage are imminently important now and in the future.

Modern pork production uses a variety of tools to ensure the health, welfare and productivity of pigs. Therapeutic (treatment and prevention of disease) use and use for enhancing growth and feed efficiency (growth promotion) are the two options for use on the farm. Collecting meaningful and accurate antibiotic use data faces significant challenge because of the number and variety of production systems, the need for broad stakeholder analysis of the data and the lack of consistent and science-based definitions of antibiotic use categories. The National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) is one mechanism that estimates uses based on a statistical sample of the nation's swine herd. If, based on sound science, additional information on antibiotic use is considered necessary, stakeholders should discuss the best implementation strategies to achieve the desired result. Producers continue in their science-based commitment to ensure the safety of pork and to maintain consumer confidence.

Food animal veterinarians practice in a variety of settings with considerable differences between the settings. Due to variability, aggregate data from surveillance of antimicrobial use is not very useful to practitioners unless correlated information is provided, such as the relative disease status, ages of animals, and purpose of use. Of greater utility is use data as it relates to a specific farm or production system. Of greater importance to clinical practitioners is a meaningful surveillance system that tracks trends in antimicrobial resistance in common pathogens causing animal diseases.

There has been renewed concern in recent years about the use of antibiotics in food animal production and the potential risk it may pose to public health due to transfer of antibiotic resistance factors via the food supply. Although a legitimate concern, it bears reminding that this debate is not new. It has been ongoing for decades, yet there is still no documented case of human treatment failure due to antibiotic resistant bacteria acquired from USDA-inspected meat and poultry. This fact strongly suggests that the issue is not the imminent threat as has been portrayed by certain individuals or advocacy groups. The poultry industry as a whole has been using antibiotics responsibly for several decades, and there are strong beneficial arguments for their continued use. Responsible public policy demands a science-based approach be utilized in the decision making process before attempting to restrict or remove certain products due to overestimated risks. Part of this scientific review should include antibiotic use data, however this information has definite limitations and shortcomings which need to be understood before attempting to make any valid antibiotic resistance associations.

The objective of this review is to outline those parts of modelling approaches in pig production which are not highly developed: these are the partitioning of protein and lipid accretion in different anatomical body parts. The authors introduce present models with a critical evaluation and draw some conclusions for further developments. Based on present knowledge this paper demonstrates the process of protein and fat accretion in different body compartments in pigs and influencing factors. A further aim is to assist in the conceptual development of a new pig model, which is more detailed, precise and accurate than currently available models. Exsisting models are generally deficient with regard to the translation of lipid and protein gain into lean and fatty tissue. Only assumed values for this translation have been used so far and the concepts underlying these values are not well understood. Therefore, it may be appropriate to develop a compartimental model to predict protein and fat deposition in growing and fattening pigs. With this new approach the model can supply sufficiently the changing consumer demands regarding to the possibility of meat quality prediction.

The work of farm animal practitioners will change in the coming years as a result of the White Paper on food safety. Both government and the Royal Veterinary Association of the Netherlands are working on an accreditation system for veterinarians. The veterinary practitioner is a link in the chain to achieve safe products. Where in the past emphasis was on the individual animal, it will now be on the herd or flock. The veterinarian will officially determine the health status of the farm, which in turn will play a role in the inspection procedures at the slaughterhouse. This form of farm management will become compulsory for all stockholders within the framework of the Veterinary Network for Supervision. In turn, these developments will affect the veterinary medicine curriculum. New subjects such as quality management will become increasingly important.

Background: Sub-Saharan African populations undergo a nutrition transition towards diets associated with increased risk for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. For targeted prevention, we aimed to characterize dietary patterns and determine their sociodemographic factors of adherence., Methods: We recruited 1,018 adults aged >  = 25 years from two formal and three informal settlements within the Health and Demographic Surveillance System, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, between February and April 2021. In a cross-sectional sample, a culture-specific food-propensity questionnaire with 134 food items and a sociodemographic questionnaire were used to collect the data. Exploratory dietary patterns were derived using principal component analysis, and sociodemographic factors of adherence were calculated using multivariable linear regression models., Results: In this study population (median age: 42 years, interquartile range 21 years; male: 35.7%), the diet relied on starchy foods and other plant-based staples with rare consumption of animal-based products. We identified three dietary patterns, explaining 10.2%, 9.8%, and 8.9% of variation in food intake, respectively: a meat and egg-based pattern associated with younger age, male sex, better education, and economic situation; a fish-based pattern prevailed among women, higher educational levels, and better economic situation; and a starchy food-based was associated with younger age and sharing a home with other adults., Conclusions: This study population is at an early stage of the nutrition transition and shows low intakes of health-beneficial food groups. Yet, progress along the nutrition transition varies according to age, educational attainment, and economic status. Particularly, younger and well-off people seem to adhere more strongly to diets high in animal-based products. These findings can inform strategies in public health nutrition for sub-Saharan African populations., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Many quantitative traits measured in breeding programs are genetically correlated. The genetic correlations between the traits indicate that the measurement of one trait carries information on others. To benefit from this information, multi-trait genomic prediction (MTGP) is preferable to use. However, MTGP is more difficult to implement compared to single-trait genomic prediction (STGP), and even more challenging for the goal to exploit not only the information on other traits but also the information on ungenotyped animals. This could be accomplished using both single and multistep methods. The single-step method was achieved by implementing a single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP) approach using a multi-trait model. Here, we examined a multistep analysis based on an approach called "Absorption" to achieve this goal. The Absorption approach absorbed all available information including the phenotypic information on ungenotyped animals as well as the information on other traits if applicable, into mixed model equations of genotyped animals. The multistep analysis included (1) to apply the Absorption approach that exploits all available information and (2) to implement genomic BLUP (GBLUP) prediction on the absorbed dataset. In this study, the ssGBLUP and multistep analysis were applied to 5 traits in Duroc pigs, which were slaughter percentage, feed consumption from 40 to 120 kg (FC40&#95;120), days of growth from 40 to 120 kg (D40&#95;120), age at 40 kg (A40) and lean meat percentage. The results showed that MTGP yielded higher accuracy than STGP, which on average was 0.057 higher for the multistep method and 0.045 higher for ssGBLUP. The multistep method achieved similar prediction accuracy as ssGBLUP. However, the prediction bias of the multistep method was in general lower than that of ssGBLUP., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

A simple and convenient procedure based on reversed-phase paper and thin-layer chromatography is reported for the detection and estimation of N-nitrosamines in food products, particularly cured meat. The method can easily be applied in tropical regions when plenty of sunshine is available. It is particularly useful in food-testing laboratories where sophisticated analysical instruments such as the gas chromatograph, mass spectrometer, etc., are not available. By this procedure, it is possible to detect up to 10 mug and to estimated up to 75-mug (reversed phase) and 50-mug (thin layer) amounts of N-nitrosamines.

Spoiled meat poses a great challenge to food security and human health, which should be addressed by the early monitoring and warning of the meat freshness. We herein exploited a molecular engineering strategy to construct a set of fluorescence probes (PTPY, PTAC, and PTCN) with phenothiazine as fluorophore and cyanovinyl as recognition site for the facile and efficient monitoring of meat freshness. These probes produce an obvious fluorescence color transition from dark red to bright cyan in response to cadaverine (Cad) through the nucleophilic addition/elimination reaction. The sensing performances were elaborately improved to achieve quick response (16 s), low detection limit (LOD = 3.9 nM), and high contrast fluorescence color change by enhancing the electron-withdrawing strength of cyanovinyl moiety. Furthermore, PTCN test strips were fabricated for portable and naked-eye detection of Cad vapor with fluorescence color change from crimson to cyan, and accurate determination of Cad vapor level with RGB color (red, green, blue) mode analysis. The test strips were employed to detect the freshness of real beef samples, and demonstrated a good capability of non-destructive, non-contact and visual screening meat freshness on site., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study examined the effect of Medicago sativa (A), Trifolium repens (WC), Lolium perenne (PR), and their mixture (Mix) on growth performance, carcass characteristics, internal organ weights, and meat quality of slower-growing broiler chickens in a free-range production system. The animal materials comprised of mixed-sex Hubbard ISA Red JA, which were reared in the deep litter system for the first 3 weeks, and thereafter, the pop hole in each of the indoor pens was opened to allow birds access to the range containing one of the above pasture treatments. The range availability was ensured from 08:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The results indicated no significant difference in broiler live body weight, feed conversion ratio, and livability between 28 and 77 days among the pasture treatments (P > 0.05). No significant variations were observed in the carcass and internal organ weights among pasture types (P > 0.05). Additionally, while the dry matter content (P < 0.01), TBA value (P < 0.05), and fatty acid profiles differed (P < 0.01), the protein, ash, water holding capacity, and oxidation stability of broiler breast meat did not differ among pasture groups (P > 0.05). Moreover, while the values of breast meat lightness (L*) and brightness (b*) differed (P < 0.05), redness and pH did not differ between the sexes (P > 0.05). Furthermore, sex significantly affected ash, protein content (P < 0.05), and TBA value (P < 0.01) of breast meat but did not affect dry matter, water holding capacity, and peroxide value of breast meat. Also, there was a significant difference in the weight of the neck, breast, thigh, live weight, hot carcass yield, heart, liver, abdominal fat, and digestive system between sexes (P < 0.05). However, breast meat fat content and fatty acid profiles were not influenced by the sex of the broilers (P > 0.05). It was concluded that access to the studied pasture species has no effect on the growth performance traits but results in notable variations in the fatty acid profiles in broiler breast meat., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

As the concern over the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) continues to grow, this compound is gradually being replaced, in industrial applications, with compounds such as bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol S (BPS). Occurrence of bisphenols, including BPA and BPS, has been reported in paper products and in environmental matrices. Information on the occurrence of bisphenols, other than BPA, in foodstuffs, however, is scarce. In this study, several bisphenol analogues, including BPA, BPF, and BPS, were analyzed in foodstuffs (N = 267) collected from Albany, NY, USA, using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Foodstuffs were divided into nine categories of beverages, dairy products, fats and oils, fish and seafood, cereals, meat and meat products, fruits, vegetables, and "others". Bisphenols were found in the majority (75%) of the food samples, and the total concentrations of bisphenols (ΣBPs: sum of eight bisphenols) were in the range of below the limit of quantification (LOQ) to 1130 ng/g fresh weight, with an overall mean value of 4.38 ng/g. The highest overall mean concentration of ΣBPs was found in the "others" category, which included condiments (preserved, ready-to-serve foods). A sample of mustard (dressing) and ginger, placed in the category of vegetables, contained the highest concentrations of 1130 ng/g for bisphenol F (BPF) and 237 ng/g for bisphenol P (BPP). Concentrations of BPs in beverages (mean = 0.341 ng/g) and fruits (0.698 ng/g) were low. The predominant bisphenol analogues found in foodstuffs were BPA and BPF, which accounted for 42 and 17% of the total BP concentrations, respectively. Canned foods contained higher concentrations of individual and total bisphenols in comparison to foods sold in glass, paper, or plastic containers. On the basis of measured concentrations and daily ingestion rates of foods, the daily dietary intakes of bisphenols (calculated from the mean concentration) were estimated to be 243, 142, 117, 63.6, and 58.6 ng/kg body weight (bw)/day for toddlers, infants, children, teenagers, and adults, respectively.

Consumer choices for food products are often based on appearance; one important aspect being product color. We systematically review the literature on consumer preferences for the color of raw beef, pork, poultry, bee honey, cow milk, and chicken eggs to inform future food technology and marketing research; a total of 40 studies were identified. Consumer preferences for pork color vary widely globally and can depend on other demographic factors. A trend toward light and bright beef was observed in six out of eight studies. A pink color was preferred in chicken by consumers in Northern Ireland and Brazil; muscle color uniformity was also related to higher acceptance. Contrarily, a diverse selection of honey colors is preferred; dark golden, yellow, and amber products were liked by consumers across the globe. One study observed a preference for white (over yellowish) milk. Worldwide, white and brown eggshells are preferred nearly equally with considerable differences between continents and regions. Our review highlights the heterogeneity of color preferences for animal products, worldwide; research methods should focus on quantifying colors associated with preferences so that food producers can accurately market their diverse products in regions with corresponding color preferences., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Food Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Institute of Food Technologists.)

The pace of life is accelerating, so we are seeking ways to optimize the shelf life of products. To achieve this goal, the microbiological quality of rabbit meat was assessed at 7, 14, and 21 days under refrigerated conditions, utilizing two storage methods, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and vacuum packaging (VAC). Maintaining high levels of hygiene is critical not only during slaughter but also during subsequent technological processes and meat storage. The research concluded that the MAP method was more effective at extending the shelf-life of fresh rabbit meat than the VAC method. Additionally, increasing the CO 2 concentrations in meat significantly decreased the Pseudomonas bacteria population (after 14 and 21 days of storage). Conversely, the gaseous mixture containing 70% O 2 significantly decreased the Enterobacteriaceae population in the sample after 21 days of storage. Moreover, the MAP storage method considerably impeded microbial growth, particularly the total yeast and mold count, lactic acid bacteria count, and Pseudomonas spp. count. This study's findings demonstrate that rabbit meat can be stored for 21 days in a modified atmosphere containing appropriate concentrations of gases such as gaseous carbon dioxide and oxygen., (© 2023 Japanese Society of Animal Science.)

Cellular agriculture could meet growing demand for animal products, but yields are typically low and regulatory bodies restrict genetic modification for cultured meat production. Here we demonstrate the spontaneous immortalization and genetic stability of fibroblasts derived from several chicken breeds. Cell lines were adapted to grow as single-cell suspensions using serum-free culture medium, reaching densities of 108 × 10 6 cells per ml in continuous culture, corresponding to yields of 36% w/v. We show that lecithin activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), inducing adipogenesis in immortalized fibroblasts. Blending cultured adipocyte-like cells with extruded soy protein, formed chicken strips in which texture was supported by animal and plant proteins while aroma and flavour were driven by cultured animal fat. Visual and sensory analysis graded the product 4.5/5.0, with 85% of participants extremely likely to replace their food choice with this cultured meat product. Immortalization without genetic modification and high-yield manufacturing are critical for the market realization of cultured meat., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Samples of filter paper were found which contain sufficient nitrite to cause significant error in determining the nitrite content of cured meat products by the official AOAC method. Six of 28 boxes of filter paper examined were contaminated with nitrite. All 6 contaminated boxes were the same brand and grade. These samples of filter paper could contribute from 4.6 to 18.4 ppm nitrite to the amount of nitrite analyzed for in meat.

The authentication of animal species is an important issue due to an increasing trend of adulteration and mislabeling of animal species in processed meat products. Polymerase chain reaction is the most sensitive and specific technique for nucleic acid-based animal species detection. However, it is a time-consuming technique that requires costly thermocyclers and sophisticated labs. In recent times, there is a need of on-site detection by point-of-care (POC) testing methods and devices under low-resource settings. These POC devices must be affordable, sensitive, specific, user-friendly, rapid and robust, equipment free, and delivered to the end users. POC devices should also confirm the concept of micro total analysis system. This review discusses POC testing methods and devices that have been developed for meat species identification. Recent developments in lateral flow assay-based devices for the identification of animal species in meat products are also reviewed. Advancements in increasing the efficiency of lateral flow detection are also discussed., (© 2020 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

The slaughter and carcass features of four breeds named Limousin (LI), Charolais (CH), Angus (AN), and Hereford (HE) were examined. Nine calves from each breed were slaughtered at an average age of 18.5 months. The animals were weighed before slaughter, and the slaughter weights as well as some body measurements of the animals were recorded. The dismemberment of the carcasses was performed after a resting period of 24 h at + 4 °C. The slaughter weights were 581.89, 590.72, 577.67, and 610.89 kg, respectively. Chilled carcass weights were 348.26, 346.91, 327.60, and 338.10 kg, respectively, with no significant differences among breeds. Dressing percentages were 59.89, 58.75, 56.71, and 55.33%, and the valuable meat ratios were 27.89, 27.66, 24.45, and 24.32%, respectively. Carcass bone ratios were 13.89, 14.17, 14.64, and 14.61%, respectively. The longissimus muscle areas (LMA) were 97.46, 102.29, 81.05, and 83.93 cm 2 , and the subcutaneous fat thickness was 0.38, 0.43, 1.00, and 1.32 cm, respectively. Significant differences were observed among breeds in terms of these characteristics. Carcass weight was highest in LI, and LI and CH breeds had higher carcass yields than the other two breeds. Although HE had the highest slaughter weight, it showed the lowest carcass yield. Whilst more meat was obtained from LI and CH, the highest fat and bone ratios were determined in HE and AN., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Rationale, Aims and Objectives: Recent controversies about dietary advice concerning meat demonstrate that aggregating the available evidence to assess a putative causal link between food and cancer is a challenging enterprise., Methods: We show how a tool developed for assessing putative causal links between drugs and adverse drug reactions, E-Synthesis, can be applied for food carcinogenicity assessments. The application is demonstrated on the putative causal relationship between processed meat consumption and cancer., Results: The output of the assessment is a Bayesian probability that processed meat consumption causes cancer. This Bayesian probability is calculated from a Bayesian network model, which incorporates a representation of Bradford Hill's Guidelines as probabilistic indicators of causality. We show how to determine probabilities of indicators of causality for food carcinogenicity assessments based on assessments of the International Agency for Research on Cancer., Conclusions: We find that E-Synthesis is a tool well-suited for food carcinogenicity assessments, as it enables a graphical representation of lines and weights of evidence, offers the possibility to make a great number of judgements explicit and transparent, outputs a probability of causality suitable for decision making and is flexible to aggregate different kinds of evidence., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The effect human presence and interactions performed after hatch to 3 months of age has on ostrich meat quality, skin damage and reproductive performance at a later age was investigated in 416-day-old ostrich chicks. The chicks were allocated to one of the three treatments, which varied with regard to exposure to human presence and care for 3 months post-hatch: HP1-extensive human presence with physical contact (touch, stroking), gentle human voice and visual contact; HP2-extensive human presence with gentle human voice and visual contact without physical contact; S-standard control treatment, where human presence and visual contact were limited to routine management, feed and water supply only. Carcass attributes (carcass weight, dressing percentage and drumstick weight), meat quality traits (pH, colour and tenderness) and skin traits (skin size, skin grading and number of lesions) were evaluated on twenty-four 1-year-old South African Black (SAB) ostriches. Reproductive performance (egg production, average egg weight, number of clutches, clutch size, chick production, average chick weight, fertility and hatchability percentage) were recorded for the first three breeding seasons of 23 SAB pair-bred females from this study. No differences in carcass attributes, meat quality, skin traits and reproductive performance were found between treatments (P > 0.05). It was evident that exposure of day-old ostriches to extensive human presence and interaction as chicks did not influence carcass attributes, meat quality or skin traits at slaughter age, but more importantly, it did not compromise their reproductive performance.

Today, consumers are very health conscious and are more aware of the nutritional value of food, especially of meat, than they were in the past. The aim of this study was to evaluate the carcass parameters and meat quality of Tibetan sheep and Small-tailed Han sheep when consuming a diet of low-protein (~7%) and different energy yields (digestible energy, 8.21, 9.33, 10.45 and 11.57 MJ/kg) in the cold season. Twelve sheep of each breed were divided randomly into four treatments of different diets with three replicates per treatment per breed. Crude protein of the meat decreased linearly (p < .05), whereas energy increased linearly (p < .05) with an increase in energy level. Tibetan sheep tended to have a higher (p < .1) dressing percentage and rib eye area, while live body weight and hot carcass weight did not differ between breeds but increased linearly (p < .01) with an increase in energy level. Water holding capacity, as indicated by pressing loss and drip loss, did not differ between breeds and was not affected by dietary energy. The concentration of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was greater in Tibetan sheep meat but saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and n-6 PUFA did not differ between breeds. With an increase in energy content of the diet, SFA decreased (p < .05), whereas MUFA increased (p < .05). The n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio was lower (p < .001) in Tibetan sheep meat, while the atherogenic index did not differ between breeds, but tended to decrease (p < .1) with an increase in dietary energy content. The essential amino acid (EAA) content and ratio of EAA:NEAA (non-essential amino acid) were close to the world standards for healthy meat. In summary, (a) Tibetan sheep meat was preferable to Small-tailed Han sheep meat, although differences between breeds were small; and (b) some carcass parameters and meat quality were improved with an increase in dietary energy level when a low-protein diet was offered., (© 2020 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Understanding consumers' perceptions toward chicken meat safety and quality could provide valuable information to public health educators since it is the most consumed meat. This study explores perceptions of a group of South African consumers on the safety and quality of chicken meat based on intrinsic and extrinsic attributes and identifies related safety risks. Data were collected through a web-based survey (863 participants). A substantial proportion of consumers considered supermarkets as the most trusted outlets to sell safe and good quality chicken (compared with butcheries, wholesalers, farmers' markets, street vendors, or "other retailers"). The majority of respondents (53%) most trusted refrigerated chicken to be of good quality compared with 36% trusting frozen chicken or 11% chicken at room temperature. Frozen chicken was considered most safe by 48% of consumers while 43% regarded refrigerated chicken as most safe. At point of purchase and home, smell, use-by date, sell-by date, and color were perceived as important attributes when judging chicken safety and quality. Consumers considered the absence of brine use and growth-promoting hormones in chicken feed as relatively important. The majority of consumers can be classified as highly involved during purchasing. It is essential that consumers apply safe chicken handling practices from point of purchase to consumption, irrespective of the type of retailer, perceived sensory characteristics, and date labels to reduce or eliminate microbial risks. Addressing consumer's knowledge and expectations regarding factors such as growth-promoting hormones and free range may improve safety and quality perceptions. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study gives insight into perceptions of a group of South African consumers toward safety and quality of chicken meat. Understanding consumers' perceptions can provide valuable information to public health educators since chicken meat is a common vehicle for Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp., which are human pathogens. Additionally, this information can assist the chicken industry to meet consumer expectations., (© 2020 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

Ultrasound (US) is classified as a nonthermal treatment and it is used in food processing at a frequency range between 20 kHz and 1 MHz. Cavitation bubbles occur when the US strength is high enough to generate rarefaction that exceeds the intermolecular attraction forces in the medium. Currently, US is widely used in meat industries to enhance procedures, such as meat tenderization, emulsification mass transfer, marination, freezing, homogenization, crystallization, drying, and microorganism inactivation. In addition, combining ultrasonic energy with a sanitizing agent has a synergistic effect on microbial reduction. When poultry meat is treated using US, the expected quality is often better than the traditional methods, such as sanitization and freezing. US can be considered as a novel green technology for tenderizing and decontamination of poultry meat since both Escherichia coli and Salmonella are sensible to US. US improves the physical and chemical properties of meat proteins and can lead to a decrease in the α-helix in intramuscular protease complex in addition to a reduction in the viscosity coefficients. Therefore, ultrasonic treatment can be applied to enhance the textural properties of chicken meat. US can also be used to improve the drying rate when used under vacuum, compared with other traditional techniques. This review focuses on the potential of US applications in the management of poultry industries as the demand for good quality meat proteins is increasing worldwide., (© 2020 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

The indigenous chicken production has become an integral part of smallholder farming systems in Africa. Their products are preferred due to their taste and flavor; crossbreeding using exotic breeds can improve the productivity of these chickens without sacrificing their genetic merits. This study was aimed at improving the Wassache chicken. F 1 generations of the crosses between the Wassache and Sasso chickens were simultaneously evaluated for growth traits, mortality, and carcass yield in a pure and reciprocal cross design. Data on body weight, performance, and mortality were collected on 451 birds (Sasso × Sasso [SS] = 110; Wassache × Wassache [WW] = 113; Sasso × Wassache [SW] = 113 and Wassache × Sasso [WS] = 115) for 12 weeks. On the 12th week of the study, 20 birds from each genotype were dissected to determine carcass yield. All data collected were analyzed using Minitab 19. The results showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) values reported for the SS genotype in all parameters studied. Likewise, the reciprocal crosses showed higher performance in growth and carcass traits next to pure Sasso. However, the feed conversion ratio and dressing percentage of the hybrids did not differ (P < 0.05) from those of the SS and WW genotypes. Within the reciprocal crosses, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in all parameters measured except for hatch weight where the WS showed a higher (P < 0.05) hatch weight compared to the SW cross. The study encourages the crossbreeding of the Wassache and Sasso chickens for improved meat production in this region., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Genetic factors affect the variability of fatty acid composition in ruminant products. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association between the variations of the SCD gene and fatty acid composition in Awassi sheep., Methods and Results: A total of 100 Awassi rams between the ages of one and two and a half years old were used in this study. Blood samples were taken at abattoirs in Babylon, and from each animal, longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle samples were taken to measure the fatty acid composition. DNA samples were isolated from each blood sample, then PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) experiments were conducted for genotyping followed by sequencing reactions. The study identified two genotypes (TT and TA) of the SCD gene (exon 3). Several novel variants were discovered in the amplified fragments of the SCD gene., Conclusions: The TA genotype resulted in increased intramuscular fat and monounsaturated fatty acids compared to the TT genotype. Breeding for the TA genotype could be used for producing meat containing less saturated fatty acids and more monounsaturated fatty acids, making meat more favorable for human consumption., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The Kumamoto sub-breed of Japanese Brown cattle has unique characteristics, such as great growth rate, and their contribution as future breeding materials is expected. To develop a DNA marker for their breeding, we investigated the effects of Leptin gene, controlling energy homeostasis, on carcass traits of the Kumamoto sub-breed. Sequence comparison identified five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): four linked synonymous mutations and one nonsynonymous mutation. Statistical analysis revealed that c.239C > T (p.A80V) had significant effects on the traits related with quality grade: beef marbling standard (p = 0.0132), meat brightness (p = 0.0383), and meat firmness (p = 0.0115). The C allele showed favorable effects; these scores of the C/C cattle were significantly higher than those of the C/T cattle. On the other hand, the effect of c.399T > C was observed on meat firmness (p = 0.0172) and beef fat standards (BFS) (p = 0.0129). The C/C cattle showed higher values of these traits than the T/T cattle. Our data suggested that these SNPs in Leptin gene could be used as a DNA marker for breeding of the Kumamoto sub-breed., (© 2022 Japanese Society of Animal Science.)

The aim of the study was to compare carcass and meat quality traits in 42-day-old Ross 308 and Cobb 500 broiler chickens. Forty carcasses were studied. Acidity (pH 24 ) and electrical conductivity (EC 24 ) of pectoralis major muscle and drumstick were determined 24 h postmortem. After carcass cutting, samples of breast and leg meat were collected for determination of quality traits. Broiler genotype had a significant effect on abdominal fat content in carcass and on water, protein, fat, sodium, and magnesium content in breast meat. Bird origin had an effect on the lightness, yellowness, horizontal diameter of muscle fiber, horizontal:vertical (H:V) diameter ratio, and most textural characteristics of pectoralis major muscle, as well as on the pH (pH 24 ), electrical conductivity (EC 24 ), and yellowness (b*) of leg muscles. Sex of birds had a significant effect on carcass weight, water, fat and collagen content, L*, a*, b* color attributes, and chewiness and gumminess of breast meat and on water and protein content in leg muscles. The present study provided information on the differences in carcass and meat quality between Ross 308 and Cobb 500 broiler chickens., (© 2022 Japanese Society of Animal Science.)

Rationale: 3-Monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) is a well-known contaminant formed in food thermal processing, which could be found in a variety of foodstuffs. Due to its potential carcinogenicity, it was essential to quickly develop a rapid and high-throughput analytical method to monitor 3-MCPD in foodstuffs, which is described in this study., Methods: 3-MCPD was extracted from foodstuffs and then was derivatized with a boronic acid-modified C 60 (B-C 60 ) through the boronic acid-diol reaction. Microwave heating was used to accelerate the derivatization reaction. Mass spectrometry (MS) analysis was conducted using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-MS (MALDI-MS). The application of the method was validated using various smoked food samples., Results: The chemical derivatization of 3-MCPD with B-C 60 enabled the addition of a C 60 -tag to 3-MCPD. High-throughput analysis of the sample within 0.5 h was realized. A good linear range from 0.02 to 1.5 μg mL -1 for 3-MCPD was obtained, with a detection limit of 0.005 μg mL -1 . The recoveries in spiked foodstuffs ranged from 85.4% to 115.1% with relative standard deviations of 2.0%-14.2%. This method was successfully applied to detect 3-MCPD in smoked foodstuffs., Conclusions: A quantitative method was developed for the detection of 3-MCPD in foodstuffs using B-C 60 derivatization combined with MALDI-MS strategy. This proposed method may serve as a potential platform for the rapid and high-throughput analysis of 3-MCPD in foodstuffs for the purpose of food safety control., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Lipids play a significant role in aroma formation. However, lipid variations and their impact on aroma during the processing of quail meat remain unknown. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of lipids and aroma compounds was conducted in circulating non-fried roasted quail meat. Nineteen odorants were identified as key aroma compounds in the roasted quail meat at 40 min with OAVs of >1. The concentrations of most key odorants significantly increased in circulating non-fried roasted (CNR) quail meat within the first 30 min of roasting, reaching maximum values at 40 min. Phospholipids, neutral lipids, and sphingolipids emerged as potential markers for distinguishing different samples. Neutral lipids had the highest peak areas and significantly contributed to the aroma retention. Phospholipids and neutral lipids with unsaturated fatty acids, particularly C 18 acyl groups, played a crucial role in aroma formation. This study provides valuable insights into the role of lipids in determining aroma quality., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Meat moderation is needed to mitigate climate change and to address issues related to animal welfare and public health. Yet little is known on the process that consumers go through towards meat-reduced diets. Strässner and Hartmann (2023) recently developed the decisional balance scale (DB scale) for meat reduction, in order to get a better understanding of the trade-offs that consumers encounter in this dietary shift. The current study sets out to replicate their German study in the Dutch context. A survey has been conducted among a representative sample of Dutch adults (N = 1982). Overall, the present study corroborated Strässner and Hartmann's findings. Similar to the German situation, Legitimation is the most important barrier, and the Downsides of factory farming is the most important motivator for meat reduction in the Netherlands. The present study extends the German study by comparing the DB scale with other established scales in research on meat reduction. Although several motivational elements related to the legitimacy of eating meat, health impact and production of meat appear in different instruments, the DB scale sets itself apart in adding practical elements (feasibility). Finally, the insights in the decision balance of population subgroups at different stages of behaviour change (no intention, intention, performing) showed that the further in the meat reduction process, the more the pros outweigh the cons. With this, the current study provides valuable insights in bolstering consumers in meat moderation. Our findings support the idea of a gradual shift and reveal that there is potential for acceleration in behaviour change towards meat reduction to be found in adjusting the self-evidence of high-intensity livestock farming systems and the meat-centric food consumption culture., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

It is increasingly apparent that we require a substantial reduction in animal production and consumption for the sake of the environment and public health. In this paper, we conducted a systematic review to explore the policy levers available for governments to reduce animal farming and the consumption of meat. The policy levers generated by the review are categorised by four main types of interventions: Financial measures, Command- and-control, Informational, and Behavioural. First, we explore four financial measures: taxes on meat is the most-studied intervention, and the least publicly accepted in polling, sometimes being implemented indirectly via measures such as carbon taxes or rescinding VAT exemptions; subsidies for animal product alternatives are considered as a more publicly acceptable alternative approach, and would reduce long-term demand for meat by making alternatives more competitive; agricultural carbon trading schemes are discussed, and may represent a politically feasible way to hold livestock producers accountable for negative externalities; and buyouts of animal farms can be an impactful way to compensate producers to leave the industry, but must be done with care to avoid unintended social and market consequences. Second, we explore two command-and-control measures: regulating animal production with standards such as animal welfare requirements and health and safety rights for agricultural workers is amongst the most well-supported policies, and is an impactful way to ensure minimum standards of production are met; however, restrictions on animal consumption, such as meat-free days in public catering, are less publicly accepted. Third, we discuss three informational measures: food product labels, such as animal welfare or environmental impact labels, fulfil consumers' expectations to have this information, and although there is limited evidence that they impact consumer behaviour directly, such labels may nonetheless incentivise producers to competitively improve; likewise, national dietary guidelines appear to have little direct impact on food choices, but can impact other institutions such as schools and medical institutions; policies on information campaigns can help or hurt meat reduction efforts, with some jurisdictions prohibiting meat advertisements, while others spend millions on campaigns to promote meat consumption. Fourth, we explore a range of behavioural measures which could be implemented in public catering settings and/or incentivised in food service, including presentation and positioning of meat- and plant-based dishes, and altering the food options on offer - we find that adding more high-quality plant-based options to menus and presenting these options as the default wherever the format allows are highly impactful and tractable behavioural policies that could reduce meat consumption. Informational and behavioural measures can complement traditional fiscal and command-and-control measures to reduce animal production and consumption. We discuss the implications for researchers and policymakers., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors Chris Bryant and Abby Couture are employed by Bryant Research, which works with alternative protein companies and animal protection NGOs to advance the protein transition. Authors Tom Chapman and Alexandra Clark are employed by Sentience Ventures, which invests in alternative protein companies to advance the protein transition., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)