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The modern day food industries are part of a complex agri-food supply chain, where food production has become efficient, yet potentially vulnerable to supply chain risks. The COVID-19 pandemic is a testament to that end. This article measures and identifies the U.S. food manufacturing industries' vulnerability to upstream industries and labor occupations by (i) calculating a food industry's diversification of intermediate input purchases across upstream industries, (ii) quantifying the relative exposure of food manufacturing in a given industry and location to upstream input suppliers and labor occupations, and (iii) estimating each food industry's gross output elasticity of inputs. Among our results, we find the evidence that the animal processing industry's output is relatively vulnerable to production labor which is consistent with the observed disruptions to the meat packing sector during COVID19, which were largely caused by labor issues. Our results may help academics and practitioners to understand food industries' vulnerabilities to upstream industries and labor occupations.

The meat industry is a leading cause of climate change in the Western world, and while reducing meat consumption has often been studied as a health behavior, it is equally important to understand its significance as a pro-environmental behavior. In a national sample of the United Kingdom (N = 737, Time 1, N = 468, Time 2) we sought to evaluate to what extent the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is an effective model for understanding people’s intentions to reduce their meat consumption. Overall, we find that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control explain 57% of the variation in intentions to reduce meat consumption. In turn, past behavior and intention explain 31% of the variance in self-reported meat consumption behavior four weeks later. Somewhat surprisingly, habit did not have any predictive utility over and above the TPB constructs. The effectiveness of the TPB and implications for devising pro-environmental interventions are discussed.

Meat is the most valuable livestock product since it is one of the main sources of protein for human consumption. Meat quality can be evaluated according to the following parameters: pH, amount of lactic acid, volatile fatty acids, bounded water, solubility of proteins, color, and tenderness. The meat composition and physical properties of muscles have been characterized for ensuring improved eating quality. Thus, the purpose of this paper was to review the major chemical compositional and physicochemical properties of meat and, at the same time, its quality attributes and factors that affect quality of meat. A number of structural features of meat as connective tissue, muscle fibers, and tendon that attaches the muscle to the bone are visible in joint meat examined through naked eyes. Water is quantitatively the most important component of meat comprising up to 75% of weight. Meat is also composed of amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and other important ingredients. Quality factors perceived by consumers are related to sensory attributes (e.g., color, tenderness, and flavor), nutritional properties (e.g., calories, vitamins’ content, and fatty acids’ profile), and appearance (e.g., exudation, marbling, and visible amount of fat). However, fresh meat quality can be defined instrumentally including composition, nutrients, color, water-holding capacity, tenderness, functionality, flavors, spoilage, and contamination. Visual inspection based on sensory quality attributes and different chemical methods are used to analyze meat quality. Other methods such as computer vision and imaging spectroscopy, gas chromatographic analysis, near-infrared technology, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and computerized tomography scanning are also used in the meat industry. So, the aim of the present review is to review quality characteristics of cattle meat and its composition constituents.

This paper presents the characteristics and baseline use of refrigerant gas in the meat, dairy, and fruit and vegetable sectors. The data are based on different sources of primary information starting from a survey of the companies that constitute the three chains in different departments of Colombia. The results show that the management, use and handling of refrigerants is similar among the three productive sectors and that the most commonly used refrigerant gases are R22, R404, R507, and R134A. Moreover, 80% of refrigerants are traditional and 20% are natural refrigerants, especially in large companies that have managed to migrate to cleaner technologies that have less of an impact on the environment. The food sector with the highest use of refrigerant gas is the meat industry, followed by the dairy and fruit and vegetable industries. Except in the fruit and vegetable chain, the refrigerant charge for these sectors is less than 100 kilograms and refrigerant changes are performed in a period of six to twelve months. A consensus was reached that preventive maintenance and timely detection of leaks is essential for the efficient and rational use of refrigerant, and its reuse is not a practice that is evident in these sectors. The findings of this study are important for analysing how companies in the food sector, have implemented environmentally friendly practices related to vital refrigeration processes for the processing and conservation of products and for identifying controls and maintenance processes that generate refrigerant changes and reduce environmental impacts.

The industry sector accounts for nearly a quarter of the total global final energy and heat makes up two-thirds of that parcel. Sectors such as food & drinks, steel, cement,ceramic and glass, among others represent a considerable part of the energy consumption thought their predominant electric consumption and thermal processes. The meat production industry corresponds to the food & drink industry one of the most representative manufacturing industry in terms of sales turnover and energy use in the European Union. Such is associated to considerable environmental impacts, namely on emissions of equivalent carbon dioxide (CO2eq). Within this sector, the main energy demanding systems arerefrigeration systemsand steam boilers, with the former being responsible for a great electric energy use within a meat production plant. In order to reduce the CO2eqemissions in an industrial plan and so to contribute to the promotion of industrial eco-efficiency, several improvement measures are proposed, which for instance include energy efficiency improvement measures (waste heat recovery technologies and strategies and cooling improvements), renewable energy integration (solar water heating systems and concentrated solar power) and alternative fuel integration (biomass andbiogasfuel integration). The paper presents the development of a framework for the assessment of eco-efficiency improvements widely applicable, namely to manufacturing industries. It has been applied to a case study —meat processing industry and the results have shown an increase of the eco-efficiency indicator up to 8.1% for theenergy efficiency measures, up to 22.7% for the renewable energy integration and 10.3% for alternative fuel integration. The research progresses subsist on characterisation of energykey performance indicators(KPI), improvement barriers, improvement of electric energy use inrefrigeration components,optimisationof carcass chilling processes, waste heat recovery and integration of renewable energy, alternative fuels and waste-to-energy technologies. A still existing gap is identified in respect to the benefits and correlation of the main improvement measures for manufacturing industries in the improvement of the eco-efficiency indicator.

In this paper we argue that the dominant model of accountability, which binds it to responsibility, is untenable, and propose a conception of speculative accountability as an alternative. We develop and apply that conception in context of the problematic of the animal as explored in Jacques Derrida’s posthumanism; in Donna Haraway’s critical response to Derrida; in the ethology of Vinciane Despret; and in Maria Puig de la Bellacasa’s studies of speculative ethics and care. The speculative accountability we propose is grounded in a commitment to responsiveness to the other and to the particularity of situation, and in a recognition that accountability is always enacted in contexts of real uncertainty and incomplete and provisional understandings. This accountability does not at all reject measurement, calculation, and standards of comparison, but it does insist that accountability cannot properly be reduced to the (re)enactment of predetermined routines and the values they carry; it should proceed speculatively through creative experiment, in an open-ended quest of better ways of taking the other into account. We support our contentions with illustrations drawn from ethology and animal studies, and in particular studies of animal husbandry for dairy and meat production. We use the example of accountability enacted in the meat industry through, the audit practices developed by Temple Grandin, to illustrate the application of a real speculative accountability in practice.

Cultivating meat from stem cells rather than by raising animals is a promising solution to concerns about the negative externalities of meat production. For cultivated meat to fully mimic conventional meat's organoleptic and nutritional properties, innovations in scaffolding technology are required. Many scaffolding technologies are already developed for use in biomedical tissue engineering. However, cultivated meat production comes with a unique set of constraints related to the scale and cost of production as well as the necessary attributes of the final product, such as texture and food safety. This review discusses the properties of vertebrate skeletal muscle that will need to be replicated in a successful product and the current state of scaffolding innovation within the cultivated meat industry, highlighting promising scaffold materials and techniques that can be applied to cultivated meat development. Recommendations are provided for future research into scaffolds capable of supporting the growth of high‐quality meat while minimizing production costs. Although the development of appropriate scaffolds for cultivated meat is challenging, it is also tractable and provides novel opportunities to customize meat properties., Cultivating meat from cells is a promising solution to the environmental, ethical, health, and food‐security challenges associated with conventional meat production. Cultivated meat will require the development of scalable, low‐cost, and edible or biodegradable scaffolds to support cell growth. This review discusses the unique challenges of cultivated meat scaffolding and highlights promising materials and processing methods worthy of further investigation.

International audience; This article critically reviews the current state of knowledge on the quality of animal-source foods according to animal production and food processing conditions, including consumer expectations-behaviours and the effects of consumption of animal-source foods on human health. Quality has been defined through seven core attributes: safety, commercial, sensory, nutritional, technological, convenience, and image. Image covers ethical, cultural and environmental dimensions associated with the origin of the food and the way it is produced and processed. This framework enabled to highlight the priorities given to the different quality attributes. It also helped to identify potential antagonisms and synergies among quality attributes, between production and processing stages, and among stakeholders. Primacy is essentially given to commercial quality attributes, especially for standard commodity animal-source foods. This primacy has strongly influenced genetic selection and farming practices in all livestock commodity chains and enabled substantial quantitative gains, although at the expense of other quality traits. Focal issues are the destructuration of chicken muscle that compromises sensory, nutritional and image quality attributes, and the fate of males in the egg and dairy sectors, which have heavily specialised their animals. Quality can be gained but can also be lost throughout the farm-to-fork continuum. Our review highlights critical factors and periods throughout animal production and food processing routes, such as on-farm practices, notably animal feeding, preslaughter and slaughter phases, food processing techniques, and food formulation. It also reveals on-farm and processing factors that create antagonisms among quality attributes, such as the castration of male pigs, the substitution of marine-source feed by plant-based feed in fish, and the use of sodium nitrite in meat processing. These antagonisms require scientific data to identify trade-offs among quality attributes and/or solutions to help overcome these tensions. However, there are also food products that value synergies between quality attributes and between production and processing phases, particularly Geographical Indications, such as for cheese and dry-cured ham. Human epidemiological studies have found associations between consumption of animal-source foods and increased or decreased risk for chronic non-communicable diseases. These associations have informed public health recommendations. However, they have not yet considered animal production and food processing conditions. A concerted and collaborative effort is needed from scientists working in animal science, food process engineering, consumer science, human nutrition and epidemiology in order to address this research gap. Avenues for research and main options for policy action are discussed

The ability ofThe samples were taken from raw materials, semi-finished and final products, as well as food contact surfaces inthe production hall and deli meat packaging department. The number ofThe prevalence ofIn this study, the effectiveness of various disinfectants against planktonic bacteria and Listeria biofilm was observed. For the majority of disinfectants, the extension of time exposure increased bacteria elimination from the biofilm. The presence of blood resulted in reduction of the antilisterial action of most of the disinfectants applied at low concentrations.

Meat samples (Longissimus dorsi) were processed using an ultrasonic (US) probe system (20 kHz) and a US bath (33 kHz), in brine solutions of 15% NaCl or NaCl/KCl. Selected quality parameters, namely hardness (Warner&ndash, Bratzler shear force, WBSF), secondary lipid oxidation products (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARs) and total colour difference (TCD) were analysed at day 0 and day 60. Inoculated E. coli and L. innocua cells, total viable counts and lactic acid bacteria were also monitored for 60 days on meat stored at 4 and 10 &deg, C. US brining could achieve a 25% sodium reduction in a shorter processing time. No changes were observed for WBSF and TBARs values, noticeable colour differences (&Delta, &Epsilon, &gt, 5) were measured in US-treated samples at the end of storage. Whilst no differences were observed in the levels of inoculated and spoilage bacteria on the meat surface, a significant reduction in E. coli in the brine subjected to US treatment indicates the potential of US as a hurdle technology to prevent cross contamination during meat processing. These results suggest that US processing, in combination with KCl, could assist current sodium reduction strategies improving processing time. In addition, the potential effects for decontamination of brining tanks increasing the shelf-life of the brine and preventing processing losses are highlighted.

BACKGROUND: Animal handling practices are one of the factors majorly affecting animal metabolism prior to slaughter. This phenomenon increases the occurrence of meat quality defects such as dark cutting-beef, causing high economical losses in the meat industry. Under this framework, the assessment of apoptosis onset in post mortem muscle was proposed as a novel approach to reveal biochemical characteristics in several Spanish bovine breeds (Asturiana de los Valles, Retinta and Rubia Gallega) managed under different production systems (intensive versus semi-extensive) and transport/lairage conditions (mixing versus not mixing with unfamiliar animals). To do so, the activities of initiator caspase 9 and executioner caspases 3/7 were determined in Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle at three early post mortem times (2, 8, and 24 h). RESULTS: Breed effect and transport/lairage conditions were the most relevant factors that influenced both caspase activities over post mortem time, showing Rubia Gallega breed a completely different behavior compared to Asturiana de los Valles and Retinta breeds. Moreover, it is postulated that apoptosis cascade is initiated via the activation of caspase 9 under hypoxic or metabolic stress followed by the activation of executioner caspases 3/7. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of apoptosis on post mortem muscle can be a novel approach to study the influence of animal handling on muscle metabolism and post mortem cell death and its consequences on meat quality traits., Claudia Fuente-Garcia thanks the Department of Economic Development & Infrastructures of the Basque Government for the doctoral fellowship. This work was funded by the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (RTA2014-00034-C04), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (RTI2018-096162-R-C22) and FEDER funds.

Purpose The aim of this paper is to explore the implementation of an integrated lean and ISO 14001 approach in meat industry for environmental performance and examine a proposed conceptual framework by capturing insights from lean and ISO 14001 experts in New Zealand (NZ). Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews have been conducted with a group of consultants (lean and ISO 14001) to evaluate the suitability of an integrated lean and ISO 14001 approach in the meat industry for environmental performance. A conceptual framework from literature has guided this study leading to its further development based on the empirical evidence collected. Findings Findings have illustrated a synergistic positive impact of lean and ISO 14001 implementation as an integrated approach for sustaining environmental performance in the meat industry. A joint implementation program provides more clarity in aligning ISO 14001 operational procedures with lean tools and techniques for an enhanced environmental performance outcome. Practical implications The application of an integrated lean and ISO 14001 framework is proposed in this paper, which can help industry practitioners and academia in developing a joint implementation strategy and conducting future research. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first to assess the effective implementation of lean and ISO 14001 as an integrated approach in the NZ meat industry.

In this study, we investigated the incidence of Listeria monocytogenes in the receiving meat, the meat products, the personnel and the environment of a vertically integrated company in Northern Greece owing a processing plant and three trading facilities. A total of 303 samples were examined from the receiving raw meat, raw meat preparations, ready-to-eat meat products, processing surfaces and the environment of these facilities as well as the food handlers' hands and nasal cavities. MALDI-TOF MS was used for Listeria identification; from the 22 (7·26%) positive to Listeria spp. isolates, 12 (3·96%) identified as L. monocytogenes, eight (2·64%) as Listeria innocua and two (0·66%) as Listeria welshimeri. Molecular serotyping of L. monocytogenes isolates by multiplex PCR revealed 11 strains belonging to serogroup IIa (1/2a and 3a) and one to IIc (1/2c and 3c). The assay for the detection of the virulence-associated genes revealed eight isolates carrying all the examined genes (inlA, inlB, inlC, plcA, prfA, actA, hlyA and iap) and four carrying all except the actA gene. Eleven (91·7%) of the isolates showed a strong ability to form biofilm. All isolates were multidrug resistant. The MALDI-TOF Main Spectrum Profile (MSPs), revealed three clusters: one with five isolates (four from environmental samples and one from a food handler), one with five isolates (all from environmental samples) and one with two isolates (both from raw meat products). MALDI-TOF MS seems to be a reliable tool for the identification of niches and contamination routes in processing plants, contributing also to the evaluation and improvement of the applied preventive measures to control L. monocytogenes.

Microbial contamination is one of the most important factors that affects the safety and shelf life of meat and meat products. Effective decontamination is paramount to consumers for the safety. Cold plasma as an effective and rapid non-thermal decontamination treatment technology, the rapid microbial inactivation achieved in the food industry has aroused the researcher’s interest. This review mainly summarizes the published researches on the application of cold plasma in fresh animal and poultry meat and meat products. The bactericidal effect of cold plasma on microorganisms and the impact on product quality for animal, poultry, and eggs were discussed, respectively. Application of cold plasma during meat processing was also discussed in this review. Compared with traditional thermal technologies, cold plasma has unique advantages, such as non-thermal, design versatility, economical, and friendly to environment. Cold plasma technology is expected to be widely used in the meat industry in the near future, and further study is still needed to get its potential.

Meat processing plants have been at the center of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. There are several factors that contribute to the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in meat processing plants and one of the factors is the formation of a multi-species biofilm with virus. Biofilm can act as a reservoir in protecting, harboring, and dispersing SARS-CoV-2 from biofilm to the meat processing facility environment. We used Murine Hepatitis Virus (MHV) as a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 virus and meat processing facility drain samples to develop mixed-species biofilms on commonly found materials in processing facilities (Stainless-Steel (SS), PVC and tiles). The results showed that MHV was able to integrate into the environmental biofilm and survived for a period of 5 days at 7°C. There was no significate difference between the viral-environmental biofilm biovolumes developed on different materials SS, PVC, and tiles. There was a 2-fold increase in the virus-environmental biofilm biovolume when compared to environmental biofilm by itself. These results indicate a complex virus-environmental biofilm interaction which is providing enhanced protection for the survival of viral particles with the environmental biofilm community.

In a 1967 interview, a senior director of an agricultural firm told East Germany’s party newspaper that he had spent so much time driving between Berlin and the new industrial meat processing facil...

Persistent Listeria in food processing facilities is defined as Listeria that survives over time, even after cleaning and sanitation activities have been performed. Once persistence has established, it can be difficult to eliminate the Listeria. A rapid review was conducted to identify locations of persistent Listeria, risk factors for persistent Listeria, and interventions that have been successful in eliminating persistent Listeria in food processing environments. A systematic search was performed in Food Science and Technology Abstracts in the Web of Science database to identify studies; of the 1,656 identified studies, 32 met the inclusion criteria. These 32 studies were conducted in seafood or smoked seafood processing facilities (n = 12), meat or poultry slaughter or processing facilities (n = 10), cheese processing facilities (n = 4), sandwich or deli meat processing facilities (n = 2), a produce facility (n = 1), and un-specified facilities or facilities that processed multiple product types (n = 3). This indicates there is a need for additional studies specific to produce. Of the 32 studies, only 13 included a definition of persistence; however, the definition of persistence was highly variable from study to study, suggesting a need to standardize the definition for Listeria persistence. Floors, drains, conveyor belts, slicers, and tables were the 5 most frequently mentioned sites where persistent Listeria was isolated in the included studies. Only 9 studies that discussed risk factors for persistent Listeria; the 2 most common risk factors mentioned were equipment cleanability and lack of hygienic zoning. Eleven studies tested interventions for the elimination of persistent Listeria. In addition to summarizing the existing knowledge on Listeria persistence in food processing facilities, this review also delineates additional research needs, such as studies on Listeria persistence in produce operations and studies that identify risk factors for persistence as well as successful intervention strategies (i.e., corrective actions to eliminate or reduce persistent Listeria).

Meat tenderness is an important quality trait critical to consumer acceptance, and determines satisfaction, repeat purchase and willingness-to-pay premium prices. Recent advances in tenderness research from a variety of perspectives are presented. Our understanding of molecular factors influencing tenderization are discussed in relation to glycolysis, calcium release, protease activation, apoptosis and heat shock proteins, the use of proteomic analysis for monitoring changes, proteomic biomarkers and oxidative/nitrosative stress. Each of these structural, metabolic and molecular determinants of meat tenderness are then discussed in greater detail in relation to animal variation, postmortem influences, and changes during cooking, with a focus on recent advances. Innovations in postmortem technologies and enzymes for meat tenderization are discussed including their potential commercial application. Continued success of the meat industry relies on ongoing advances in our understanding, and in industry innovation. The recent advances in fundamental and applied research on meat tenderness in relation to the various sectors of the supply chain will enable such innovation.

Sheep meat is an essential element within the multicultural mosaic of Mexican agri-food traditions. A total of 332 consumers were surveyed face-to-face in restaurants specializing in selling traditional sheep meat products. Our results showed that consumers could be segmented based on their perceptions, habits, and preferences towards sheep meat. For consumers, sheep meat is perceived as food with unique sensory attributes, coming from healthier animals than other species and traditional characters. Their willingness to pay extra is subject to the guarantee that the meat is safe, free of hormones and antibiotics, and to a lesser extent, certified organic. The multivariate analysis suggested three clusters or consumer profiles named passive, wholehearted, and deep-rooted, which explained the associations among attitudes, some demographic variables, and consumption frequency. The nascent national sheep meat industry needs to consider these concerns in developing marketing and trust strategies to attract, maintain, and build loyalty among Mexican consumers.

During preparation, processing, and distribution, the spoilage of meat products has been causing a negative economic impact in the meat industries. In addition, lipid/protein oxidation and deterioration resulting from microorganisms' development are other concerns verified during the storage of meat and meat derivatives. In this sense, the meat industry has designed biopolymers-based materials containing biomolecules as active packaging to diminish losses and improve the shelf-life of these products. Here, we examined the loading of essential oils in the active films and coatings. Their impact on the chemico–physio–mechanico properties and antioxidant and antibacterial potential of the numerous biopolymer films for packaging meat and derived products are discussed. The potential use of essential oils incorporated into biopolymer network matrices of these films was also evaluated. This review also covers the biological effects of different types of edible films and the influence of these functional packaging on improving meat product quality. Interestingly, active films containing essential oil present a future approach and an environmentally friendly solution in the meat industry. In general, active food packaging revealed suitable technology to improve meat quality and reduce waste in the food industry.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the properties of skin-on and skin-off goat processing and carcasses for processing efficiency, fabrication time, biochemical factors, and sensory attributes for stewed goat meat. Thirty-one goats were harvested in 2 separate experiments, either skin-on (n = 16) or off (n = 15). The carcasses were fabricated into four primals and each primal was cut into cubes. Processing efficiency, carcasses yield, collagen content, moisture, lipid, ultimate pH, and sensory attributes were measured, and multivariate regression analysis were conducted. The skin-on group had greater overall yield compared to the skin-off group (P 0.01). Consumers rated goat shoulder meat with the highest overall liking compared to the other primals (P 0.01), regardless of skin present (P 0.10). Finally, lipid % was found to be the most essential palatability trait to American Asian consumers.

High pressure processing (HPP) is one of the most successful nonthermal technique adopted by the meat industry. Raw beef and poultry meat commercially produced using HPP are processed at intense pressure levels for microbiological safety purposes, which, however, have been associated with impact on quality attributes, e.g., texture, appearance/color, and oxidation of proteins and lipids. Research over the last decade has shown that HPP may be operated at mild settings without compromising bacterial inactivation when combined with plant-origin essential oils (EOs). This review discusses 1) the effects and the underlying mechanisms of HPP on bacterial inactivation and on meat quality, 2) the antimicrobial activities of individual or mixed EOs when combined with HPP, and 3) the development of statistical models for foodborne pathogen reduction using HPP involving multiple parameters, e.g., pressure level, holding time, temperature, concentrations of antimicrobial agents, etc.; which may assist in process optimization of HPP-based hurdle technologies.

Advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) and N-nitrosamines (NAs) are common hazards in the processing of meat products. AGEs are produced by Maillard reaction and fat oxidation during processing and storage, whereas NAs are produced by nitrosation after the addition of nitrite during meat processing. They may have some relevance to human diseases, such as diabetes and cancer. Literature revealed that the contents of fat and protein in meat products and processing methods have a remarkable influence on the formation of AGEs and NAs. These two hazardous substances can be detected in a variety of meat products, and adding antioxidants can effectively inhibit the production of AGEs and NAs. This paper reviews the formation mechanism, influencing factors, detection methods, and inhibition methods of AGEs and NAs in meat products and discusses their exposure values in meat products to provide reference for people's healthy diet and understand and control the levels of AGEs and NAs in meat products.

The gelling process of chicken meat batters, which were heated (75 °C) under atmospheric pressure or high pressure (200/400 MPa), was investigated by determining the hardness of batter, residual denaturation enthalpy, microstructure, and protein secondary structure. The results showed that meat batters heated at 200 MPa showed a similar increase in hardness to heat-only samples, but meat batters heated at 400 MPa showed a texture decreasing tendency after a limited increase. High pressure disrupted the myofibrils, promoted protein denaturation and aggregation in the first stage of heating under pressure treatment. In the second stage of treatment, heating was the main driving force for protein gelation, which was disturbed by hindering the structural transformation of proteins in the presence of high pressure during heating. The effect of 200 MPa on muscle proteins was relatively gentle and had a less negative effect. Excessive high pressure should be avoided when applying heating under pressure for gel-type meat products processing. Industry relevance High-pressure processing is increasingly applied in the meat industry. By combining high pressure with heating, their effects on texture improvement and microbial inactivation can be maximized. In this study, the influence of high pressure on the texture of meat products was analyzed, which showed that excessive pressure would significantly interfere with the thermal denaturation of the protein, thus adversely affecting the formation of the gel structure. High pressure at 400 MPa and above should be avoided when applying heating under pressure for gel-type meat products processing.

China is the world’s largest hog producer and a leading pork importer. Since August 2018, ongoing outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF), a highly contagious and deadly disease affecting pigs, have hit China’s livestock industries and wiped out 40% of China’s pigs. We leverage data on daily stock returns from 25 major publicly listed firms from China and eight major pork-exporting countries to provide the first systematic analysis of the firm-level economic impacts of the outbreaks. We find that, on average, announcements of ASF outbreaks have led to positive and significant stock returns for both Chinese and international hog firms. China’s hog firms, on average, enjoyed 10%–40% cumulative abnormal returns during the 2019 Chinese Spring Festival, when investors saw signs of a near-20% inventory loss during a peak demand season for pork. We show that larger hog firms tend to capture greater positive stock returns. Our results suggest opportunities for consolidation, expansion, and upgrades of China’s meat industry that have long-run implications for its global competitiveness and efficiency.

Detection of on farm and transport animal welfare problems at slaughterhouse level is a key issue for the meat industry; however, usually, the assessments do not include basic aspects of animal health. For that reason, it is necessary to develop an assessment method that has an integrative scope and identifies the risk profiles in animals. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to detect cattle welfare indicators that can be implemented at the slaughterhouse level and to develop integrated risk profiles based on the animal’s origin, pre-slaughter logistics, and animal-based indicators. We recorded the origin, commercial category, transportation details, and horn size of 1040 cattle upon arrival at the slaughterhouse. Cattle welfare was measured based on individual scores for vocalizations, stunning shots, carcass bruises, meat pH, severe hoof injuries, and organ condemnations. To characterize operational and logistic practices from the farm to the slaughterhouse, a two-step cluster analysis was applied to the aforementioned variables (production system, cattle type, horn size, journey distance, vehicle type), which identified four clusters: small feedlot and free-range profile (C1, n = 216, 20.8 %), feedlot profile (C2, n = 193, 18.6 %), culled dairy cows profile (C3, n = 262, 25.2 %), and free-range profile (C4, n = 369, 35.5 %). The animal’s diet and environmental conditions might have influenced the development of hoof disorders in C1 animals (P = 0.023), the proportion of animals that were re-shot was highest in C2 animals (P = 0.033), and C3 and C4 animals were most likely to suffer injuries such as severe bruising (P = 0.001). In addition, the number of stunning shots, meat pH, carcass bruises, severe hoof injuries, and liver condemnations, explained a significant variation in the incidence of various health and welfare consequences based on an animal’s origin, which confirmed their importance as ‘welfare iceberg’ indicators. The study provided detailed data that can be included into assessment methods for the welfare of slaughter cattle, which can be tailored to specific production systems.

Social impact assessment of products can be approached through different methodologies that need to be adapted to the particularities and features of the studied subject. Thus, the Social Life Cycle Assessment methodology can be used to assess different innovative practices of product manufacturing, under a circular economy approach, by identifying potential positive as well as negative impacts along products’ life cycle. This paper presents the results of the Social Life Cycle Impact Assessment of a reference product from the Spanish meat industry using existing and new innovative methods of social impact analysis. Worker discrimination, health and safety for workers, consumers and local community were identified as the social aspects with relevant significance into the business or for the influence on customer’s perception of the products studied. Therefore, results can represent a reference scenario for the future assessment of innovative solutions in the Spanish meet sector. Despite the scarce use of Social Life Cycle Impact Assessment, this case study is a good example of how this innovative kind of assessment can be helpful for companies to identify their weak and strong social performance areas and design strategies to improve in Social Responsibility Management.

This paper summarises the contents of this Special Edition. The papers cover a range of advanced technologies for the objective measurement of carcass characteristics that influence the yield and potential eating quality of beef and lamb carcasses. All the research has been carried out in Australia and New Zealand and has been centrally funded with collaboration between various groups. This Special Edition is timely since the meat industry is coming under pressure on environmental grounds in addition to health warnings about excessive meat consumption. In this respect it is encouraging that so many of the papers relate to eating quality. The emphasis on objective methods is also important as moving away from traditional subjective grading will improve accuracy and consistency and thereby increase efficiency. Some differences in the approach taken in other parts of the world are discussed.

Robust species identification of unprocessed and processed meat is essential to ensure the safety and quality of food products. Meat adulteration results from the wrong identification of animal sources, contamination of different meats during processing, or intentional meat substitution using those from other species and non-meat products of lower economic value. This review discusses the potential applications of DNA barcoding in routine meat inspections in the Philippines. Developing mini-barcode primer sets to enhance the utility of conventional techniques is critical in adopting DNA barcoding technology as a robust tool for routine inspections of meat sold commercially, including those intended for the halal meat industry. Increasing the ability of the Philippine National Meat Inspection Service to document the number, types, and scope of meat fraud is a step forward in finally using animal forensic science as a valuable component of its regulatory functions for the protection of the meat-consuming public.

The number of articles devoted to study the effect of “natural antioxidants” on meat systems has remarkably increased in the last 10 years. Yet, a critical review of literature reveals recurrent flaws in regards to the rationale of the application, the experimental design, the characterisation of the plant sources, the discussion of the molecular mechanisms and of the potential benefits. The selection of the appropriate source of these antioxidants and the identification of their bioactive constituents, are essential to understand their mode of action and set effective and safe doses. The methodological approach should also be planned with care as the recorded effects and main conclusions largely depend on the accuracy and specificity of the methods. This article aims to critically review the recent advances in the application of plant antioxidants in meat and meat products and briefly covers current trends of innovative application and future trends.