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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.

Canada's unemployment rate increased rapidly in the spring of 2020 in response to strict public health measures. Low‐wage workers were hit particularly hard, including restaurant workers. The production and distribution of food being essential and agri‐food supply chains being resilient, other workers in the agri‐food sector were less impacted by public health measures and the pandemic. Employment in grocery stores remained steady and employment of agricultural workers, including temporary foreign workers, proved more robust than expected. Dealing with contaminated workers proved challenging in meat processing plants. Temporary plant shutdowns and slowdowns created livestock queuing problems and temporary increases in meat prices. The federal and provincial governments implemented several programs to mitigate the pandemic's adverse effects on labor markets. The pandemic will have permanent effect on labor markets, but with unemployment rates falling rapidly across Canada, recruiting and retention remain the main labor issues in agriculture.

Thermal treatment is a widely applied food processing technology in the meat industry due to its convenience. However, the interpretation of the changes in the bacterial community and quality properties in the thermal processed meat products have not been well established. Therefore, the effects of thermal treatment on the quality characteristics and bacterial communities in meatballs during storage at 4°C were investigated, which will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the influence of thermal treatment on the meat quality. Thermal treatment (121°C, 15 min) decreased the initial total viable bacterial counts by 2.1 log CFU/g and the diversity of the initial bacterial communities in meatballs. Compared with the thermal treatment group, a significantly more rapidly increasing trend of total volatile basic nitrogen and a decreasing trend of pH were observed in the control group. At the end of storage, the bacterial community was dominated by Streptococcus, Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas in the thermal treatment meatballs, whereas Pseudomonas, Pantoea, and Serratia. dominated the bacterial community of the control group. Besides, the predicted metabolic pathways revealed high levels of carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolism in the control group. This finding could contribute to a deep understanding of the influence of thermal treatment on the meat quality. Moreover, these results could provide a theoretical foundation for the development of alternative and novel nonthermal processing technologies for use in the meat industry., The findings of this study demonstrated that thermal treatment (121°C, 15 min) could significantly decrease bacterial community diversity and the growth of potential spoilage bacteria in meatballs. In particular, thermal treatment could largely decrease the relative abundance of bacterial metabolic pathways in meatballs, such as carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolism to maintain the freshness of meatballs during storage.

Globally, migrant and immigrant workers have borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic as essential workers. They might be a Bulgarian worker at a meat processing plant in Germany, a Central American farmworker in the fields of California, or a Filipino worker at an aged-care facility in Australia. What they have in common is they are all essential workers who have worked throughout the coronavirus pandemic and have been infected with coronavirus at work. COVID-19 has highlighted the inequitable working conditions of these workers. In many instances, they are employed precariously, and so are ineligible for sick leave or social security, or COVID-19 special payments. If these are essential workers, they should get at least the same health and safety benefits of all nonessential workers. Improving the working and living conditions of migrant workers can and should be a positive outcome of the coronavirus pandemic.

BACKGROUND The meat industry is determined to find biodegradable packaging with properties similar to plastic. Furcellaran (FUR) and whey protein isolate (WPI) were used as a film matrix in which Borago officinalis extract (BOE) was incorporated as an antioxidant compound. The film's mechanical properties, water behavior, surface color, and antioxidant power were analyzed.Smoked hams were manufactured using two different types of film application: cured meat covered with film, smoked and cooked or hamsafter smoking, cooking and cooling. Smoked, vacuum packed ham was used as a control sample. The products were stored at 4 °C for 21 days and analyzed every 7 days. RESULTS The elongation at break (EAB) and tensile strength (TS) of FUR/WPI films without the extract were 6.30% and 20.59 MPa, respectively, and after incorporating BOE, the EAB and TS were 24.30% and 15.33 MPa, respectively. The films with BOE were darker and had greater antioxidant capacity. The water content and activity in the products with films decreased along with storage time while the control remained stable. The results of microbiological, oxidation product accumulation, and sensory analysis were comparable in all the products. CONCLUSIONS The smoking time can be reduced due to the dark color of the hams covered with BOE film. The barrier properties of those films should be increased. Other parameters were comparable to plastic packaging. The films therefore have the potential to be used instead of plastic packaging in the meat industry. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Australian goat meat industry has grown significantly in the last decade, with the value of exports nearly tripling. However, because carcase weight has remained constant over this time, the drivers of industry growth are price and supply. Animal health and reproduction are key factors contributing to supply and productivity, yet limitations to production management are poorly understood, hampering advice for effective intervention. This exploratory study aims to provide insights into the animal health and reproductive management practices and perceptions among meat goat producers in Australia. To achieve this aim, 20 producers, located in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria, operating under different production systems were interviewed. The results of this study suggest that animal health management could be improved and that producers perceive a lack of relevant and species-specific information available to help them make informed decisions. Reproductive management and records varied greatly across producers interviewed. Kid loss was identified as an issue, with a 28% estimated average (6%-47% range) of losses from kidding until weaning. Producers identified predation, doe nutrition and mismothering as the biggest contributors to kid loss, with the majority of losses occurring within a week of birth. All producers believed management could minimise kid loss. This study highlights the importance of improving reproductive rates among goat enterprises and provides new information on the current practices within the Australian meat goat industry. This may assist the development of appropriate strategies for improving health and reproductive management and delivery of advice to producers.

In the meat industry, hydrocolloids and phosphates are used to improve the quality attributes of meat products. However, latest research results revealed that the usage of exopolysaccharide (EPS)-forming lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which are able to produce EPS in situ during processing could be an interesting alternative. The current review aims to give a better understanding of bacterial EPS production in food matrices with a special focus on meat products. This includes an introduction to microbial EPS production (homopolysaccharides as well as heteropolysaccharides) and an overview of parameters affecting EPS formation and yield depending on LAB used. This is followed by a summary of methods to detect and characterize EPS to facilitate a rational selection of starter cultures and fermentation conditions based on desired structure-function relationships in different food matrices. The mechanism of action of in situ generated EPS is then highlighted with an emphasis on different meat products. In the process, this review also highlights food additives currently used in meat production that could in the future be replaced by in situ EPS-forming LAB. ispartof: COMPREHENSIVE REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND FOOD SAFETY vol:19 issue:6 pages:2932-2954 ispartof: location:United States status: published

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.

The effectiveness of plant extracts (0.05% rosemary and 0.08% oregano) to extend shelf life of bison strip loin steaks in terms of color stability and consumer acceptability was studied. Steaks treated with oregano presented lower oxygen consumption, higher metmyoglobin-reducing activity (MRA), decreased lipid oxidation, and provided a stable red color with less discoloration during the retail display period than the control and rosemary treated steaks (P 0.05). Results from consumer sensory evaluation indicated that treated steaks under study were not significantly different from the control (P 0.05) based on palatability attributes and acceptability. However, rosemary treated steaks were more desirable and palatable than their oregano counterparts (P 0.05). Overall, plant extracts, particularly oregano, can improve color stability of bison steaks due to its antioxidants properties and ability to increase MRA capacity in fresh bison meat without posing any negative impact on its sensory attributes. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study will provide valuable information to the bison meat industry on how to offer a more consistent and acceptable product (in terms of palatability and color) to consumers using plant-based natural antioxidants, without diminishing the palatability of their products. This technology can offer two more days of shelf life in retail overwrap packaging, consequently, opening the possibility for the bison industry to expand its market with a potential to reduce retail losses due to poor color stability and early browning (that is, stock out, markdowns, and waste due to expired display life).

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.

This study investigated the effect of the combination of basic electrolysed water (BEW) and slightly acid electrolysed water (SAEW) with ultrasound (US) for cleaning and sanitation of the knives used in slaughtering processes. The knives were sonicated in a US bath using two modes of operation (normal and sweep) in two steps: (i) 5 min with BEW and (ii) 10 min with SAEW at 35 °C. The microbiological counts and the possible changes in the physical structure of the knives were evaluated. The association BEW + SAEW + US, in the sweep mode, provided lower mesophilic, enterobacterial, Staphylococcus aureus and yeast counts when compared to the values recommended by the international legislation. In addition, these conditions removed all organic residues from the knife blades and promoted the highest migration rate of the residues to the US water bath (12.35 mg/L·min), without modifications in the knife blades. Thus, cleaning and sanitation of knives was feasible with the association of BEW + SAEW + US, which could be a useful alternative for the meat industry.

Animal fat plays a key role in the structure, quality, and acceptability of emulsified meat products. However, a high consumption of saturated fat has been related to several health problems. Fat encapsulation with a nondigestible carbohydrate, such as pectin, may offer a promising alternative to reduce fat intake from a meat product, by preventing its digestion and absorption. The objective of this study was to develop a meat sausage with pectin-encapsulated-fat (PEF) to decrease its lipid digestibility, without compromising its acceptability. Pork fat particles encapsulation by emulsification with a 4% pectin solution, and also stability during meat processing and cooking, was confirmed by confocal microscopy. No changes (P 0.05) compared to Control (C) were found on thermal stability and composition of sausages formulated with direct addition of pectin (T1) and with incorporation of PEF (T2). However, in comparison with C, pH, color, and texture of T1 and T2 samples were affected (P 0.05). Nevertheless, these changes had no influence (P 0.05) on sensory acceptability of treated samples, and actually improved (P 0.05) their texture acceptance. In vitro digestive degradation of triacylglycerols was decreased (P 0.05) by 20% on T2 samples compared to control and it was superior (P 0.05) to T1 (8%). Confocal images confirmed lipid digestibility reduction of T2 samples. Incorporation of PEF in a meat sausage offers a better protection against the hydrolytic action of lipases over triaclyglycerides, than a direct addition of pectin, without affecting its sensory acceptability. Therefore, it can be a potential strategy to reduce fat intake from meat products. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Reduction or replacement strategies tested to modify or decrease fat content in meat products usually leads to nondesirable sensory attributes. However, decreasing lipid digestibility by encapsulating animal fat with nondigestible pectin offers a new approach to reduce fat intake from full-animal-fat meat products, without affecting their sensory acceptability.

The effects of substituting pork back-fat with addition of gellan gum and water on gel characteristics, rheological property, water mobility, and distribution of chicken meat batters were studied. The addition of gellan gum significantly affected the cooking yield, color, texture, and rheological property of chicken meat batters (p .05) when gellan gum was added with 0, 0.2, and 0.4%. When the level of gellan gum reached 0.6%, the cooked chicken meat batters had significantly lower L* value, cooking yield, hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and chewiness values (p .05) at 80C, but the G' of chicken batters with 0.6% gellan gum was significantly decreased (p .05) in the chicken batters with 0, 0.2, and 0.4% gellan gum. A significant decrease was observed (p < .05) in the chicken batter with 0.6% gellan gum. Overall, added 0.2 and 0.4% gellan gum to chicken meat batters could reduce pork back-fat. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Emulsion-type meat products contain a high level of fat, saturated fatty acids, and cholesterol, which have a potential negative effect on consumers health. However, animal fat plays an important role in the textural properties and water-holding capacity of meat products. One of great challenges in meat processing is how to find a fat substitute to produce low-fat meat products which have overall acceptable quality. This study showed that the addition of gellan gum influenced the textural properties of chicken batters and changed the dynamic rheological behavior. The addition of 0.2 and 0.4% gellan gum kept a stable cooking yield and textural properties of cooked chicken batters and also reduced the pork back-fat. LF-NMR could reflect the cooking yield and gel properties of the chicken batters. Gellan gum may be used to replace pork back-fat to produce low-fat chicken meat batters having overall acceptability in meat industry for meeting consumer demand.

Health benefits derived from regular fish intake have encouraged governments to promote its consumption. However, can beliefs about fish increase expenditure on fish and reduce meat expenditure? Survey data from Modern Metropolitan Lima, Peru, indicate that female respondents were more likely to spend a bigger proportion on fish, while more educated respondents spent less on fish. Also, those with a higher household income and who eat fast food regularly were more likely to spend a bigger proportion on beef. Factors that positively influence expenditure share on fish were the belief that fish is healthy and nutritious, a preference for fish flavor and familiarity with fish. Conversely, these beliefs reduced the expenditure shares on beef and chicken. These outcomes demonstrate both the positive effect of fish consumption campaigns on fish expenditure and their negative impacts on meat expenditure, which has implications for campaigns developed by governments and the meat industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Food policies and campaigns that promote regular fish consumption by highlighting its positive health benefits and nutritional content can influence the proportion that consumers spend on fish versus other sources of animal protein, beyond their effects on consumer preferences and willingness‐to‐pay for fish. However, these campaigns can result in reduced meat expenditure. These substitution effects between expenditure on related products, such as the case of fish and different types of meats, need to be considered by the authorities and the food industry, as new marketing strategies may need to be developed to increase the consumption of specific fish and meat products that have positive health and nutrition properties. In addition, food processors and retailers could introduce and promote new products in convenient formats for meal preparation to encourage consumption of fish and meat as part of a healthy diet.

In this study, the changes of color, emulsion stability, rheological property, and protein secondary structure attributes of pork meat batters (1% sodium chloride) treated by high pressure with different soy protein isolate were investigated. Three batters with 0, 2, and 4% soy protein isolate were prepared under 200 MPa for 10 min, respectively. The pH, emulsion stability, L* and b* values were significantly improved when added soy protein isolate, the a* value was significantly (p .05) with soy protein isolate increased, but emulsion stability was increased (p

Ozonated and electrolyzed water have been reported to have bactericidal activities against most pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms associated with fresh meat and contact surfaces in meat processing facilities at room temperature. However, antimicrobial effects of these two treatments combined are not known. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ozonated and electrolyzed water in combination for inactivating Escherichia coli K12 on goat meat. The combination of ozonated water and alkaline electrolyzed water resulted in higher log reductions (1.03 CFU/ml) compared to ozonated water alone (0.53 CFU/ml). Regression analysis performed using the GInaFiT tool showed that nonlinear Weibull models were more effective than log‐linear models for describing the inactivation kinetics of E. coli K12 on goat meat.

Allergic responses to food components are an increasing problem all over the world. It is therefore important to protect people who are vulnerable to food allergens against accidental and unintended consumption of products containing allergic ingredients. The meat industry commonly uses various allergic additives in the production of processed products, such as legumes (soy, peas, beans), milk and egg preparations, cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley and oats), and spices (celery and mustard). These meat additives have specific technological properties, which help to create a texture or flavor profile, or affect the nutritional value, although some of them, such as soy, mustard, milk and egg white proteins, can cause severe allergic reactions. The aim of this paper is to discuss the application of various recently established methods of detection of allergenic additives in processed meat products - for instance cold cuts and sausages. The new methods are based mainly on protein, DNA, and isoflavones or phytic acid analysis. The article also characterizes the latest trends in the development of research on methods that would enable quick and reliable identification of targeted allergens in meat products. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Meat from birds is a rich source of proteins for the human diet. In this framework, Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola L.), a medium-small wading bird hunted as game in many Eurasian countries, is considered one of the best meats for culinary purposes. Since the nutritional composition of Eurasian woodcock meat has not yet been reported, we decided to determine the nutritional profile of S. rusticola meat.; Results: Macronutrient components (proteins, lipids and fatty acids) were determined, as well as free and total amino acids, and compared with those of the common pheasant. Eurasian woodcock meat contains high levels of proteins and essential amino acids. The levels of unsaturated fatty acids represent a great contribution to the total lipid amount. Among polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid (C18:2, n-6) is the major essential fatty acid. Finally, we report the characterization of myoglobin (Mb) from Eurasian woodcock.; Conclusion: The data revealed that meat from this bird could be a good source of quality raw proteins because of its amino acid composition, and it had a low lipid content. On the other hand, Mb characterization might be of benefit to the meat industry, by providing useful information for the determination of species-specific differences in meat from birds. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

The tenderization process, which can be influenced by both pre- and post-slaughter interventions, begins immediately after an animal's death and is followed with the disruption of the muscle structure by endogenous proteolytic systems. The post-slaughter technological interventions like electrical stimulation, suspension methods, blade tenderization, tumbling, use of exogenous enzymes, and traditional aging are some of the methods currently employed by the meat industry for improving tenderness. Over the time, technological advancement resulted in development of several novel methods, for maximizing the tenderness, which are being projected as quick, economical, nonthermal, green, and energy-efficient technologies. Comparison of these advanced technological methods with the current applied industrial methods is necessary to understand the feasibility and benefits of the novel technology. This review discusses the benefits and advantages of different emerging tenderization techniques such as hydrodynamic-pressure processing, high-pressure processing, pulsed electric field, ultrasound, SmartStretch™ , Pi-Vac Elasto-Pack® system, and some of the current applied methods used in the meat industry.

To explore a new method of deep processing and to improve the value of rabbit bone, we prepared a nano-scaled rabbit bone powder by dry ball milling and compared the effect of different particle sizes of rabbit bone powder [fine-scaled (236.01 ± 5.99 μm), superfine-scaled (65.92 ± 1.71 μm), nano-scaled (502.52 ± 11.72 nm)] on the nutritional characteristics, pH, color, water-holding capacity, textural and rheological attributes of rabbit meat batter.; Results: The rabbit bone powder significantly affected nutritional characteristics of meat batters; in particular, the contents of calcium were increased, regardless of particle size. Additionally, the rabbit meat batter, which contained 20 g kg-1 nano-scaled rabbit bone, had the lowest centrifugal and cooking losses among the treatments.; Conclusion: Based on the textural and rheological attributes of the rabbit meat batters, the addition of 20 g kg-1 nano-scaled rabbit bone was the best treatment. This represents an important finding with respect to the deep processing of rabbit bone in the rabbit meat industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Modern-day processing of meat products involves a series of complex procedures designed to ensure the quality and safety of the meat for consumers. As the size of abattoirs increases, the logistical problems associated with large-capacity animal processing can affect the sanitation of the facility and the meat products, potentially increasing transmission of infectious diseases. Additionally, spoilage of food from improper processing and storage increases the global economic and ecological burden of meat production. Advances in biomedical and materials science have allowed for the development of innovative new antibacterial technologies that have broad applications in the medical industry. Additionally, new approaches in tissue engineering and nondestructive cooling of biological specimens could significantly improve organ transplantation and tissue grafting. These same strategies may be even more effective in the preservation and protection of meat as animal carcasses are easier to manipulate and do not have the same stringent requirements of care as living patients. This review presents potential applications of emerging biomedical technologies in the food industry to improve meat safety and quality. Future research directions investigating these new technologies and their usefulness in the meat processing chain along with regulatory, logistical, and consumer perception issues will also be discussed.

Transglutaminase (TGase) is widely applied in the meat industry, and mixing of meat from various sources is an efficient way to enhance the quality of meat products. In this study, sensory scores, color, gel properties, water holding capacity and microstructure of mince mixtures, treated with 0.4% TGase, were determined to investigate the effect of TGase and mixing ratios (pork/fish, 10:0, 7:3, 5:5, 3:7, 0:10) on quality and gel properties of mince mixtures composed of pork and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix). Results indicated that the mixture improved the sensory quality and gel properties of meat products compared to control group. The addition of TGase significantly (p.05) increased the gel strength, especially at 7:3 ratio of pork and silver carp, in which gel strength reached its maximum and was 10.26%, 64.15% greater than pork with TGase and without TGase respectively, and water holding capacity were greater, and microstructure became more compact. The results suggest the synergetic interaction between proteins of pork and silver carp. TGase increased the interaction, especially for mixing proportion of 7:3 (pork/fish). Those results could be useful for the development of mixed and new meat products in the food industry.Pork and silver carp are two main meat in diet, and mince mixtures can improve the nutrition of meat product. TGase is usually used to enhance the texture and gel properties of meat in industry. The addition of TGase in pork/fish mince mixtures can not only improve the texture, but catalyze the synergetic interaction between proteins from different meat and further enhance gel properties of mice mixtures in a certain ratio. All of that will provide reference for meat processing and development of new meat product.

Blood is generated in very large volumes as a by-product in slaughterhouses all around the world. On the one hand, blood generation presents a serious environmental issue because of its high pollutant capacity; however, on the other hand, blood has the potential to be collected and processed to generate high-added-value food ingredients based on its exceptional nutritive value and its excellent functional properties. In this paper, we review the current state of the art for blood processing, from collection to final recovery of protein isolates, the functional properties of blood, impact of processing on functional properties, and potential applications as food ingredients. Furthermore, future challenges are outlined for this underutilized and abundant product from the meat industry.

This research studied the possibility of using hyaluronic acid (HA) as a food additive for meat emulsions to create a novel functional food with improved rheological and water binding properties. Sausages with 200 and 500 g kg-1 water addition were supplemented with 0, 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 g kg-1 of HA and stored for 14 days in vacuum. Rheology, texture, weight losses, proximate composition and microbiological analyses were performed together with the sensory evaluation of produced sausages.; Results: Surprisingly, the results show that the addition of 0.05 and 0.1 g kg-1 HA reduced yield and the stability of meat emulsion by causing water outflow from the product and decreased the sensory scores of the produced sausages. The sausage with 500 g kg-1 water and 0.01 g kg-1 HA addition was the only economically viable option for introducing the product on the market.; Conclusion: HA has a potential of being a perfect functional food additive for meat industry, although further research regarding processing conditions should be performed. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

The increased demand for low-sodium ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products highlights the need for new strategies to ensure food safety. The application of essential oils (EOs) as natural antimicrobials in the meat industry has been suggested to prevent or control cross-contamination during meat processing operations. This work aims to quantify and model the transfer of Salmonella Enteritidis during the slicing procedure of RTE turkey products treated with thyme essential oil (TEO) at a concentration of 0.1% (v/w). Two products were subjected to the slicing procedure with slicer blades inoculated with S. Enteritidis at 108 cfu/mL. The Weibull and modified Weibull predictive models were fitted to the transfer data. Twenty slices were sampled and showed positive with bacteria, indicating cross-contamination. The number of cells transferred per slice decreased logarithmically during the assays. The transfer models, based on the Weibull model, were suitable to describe the bacterial transfer trend on slices in most cases. TEO treatment reduced the transfer of Salmonella on a preservative free RTE turkey product. The predictive models obtained in this study can help food-quality staff and managers on the design and assessment of processes to guard RTE turkey products against Salmonella. This work supports the addition of EOs to reduce microbial risk in RTE meat products.

The manufacture of dry fermented sausages is an important part of the meat industry in Southern European countries. These products are usually produced in small shops from a mixture of pork, fat, salt, and condiments and are stuffed into natural casings. Meat sausages are slowly cured through spontaneous fermentation by autochthonous microbiota present in the raw materials or introduced during manufacturing. The aim of this work was to evaluate the technological and safety features of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) isolated from Portuguese dry fermented meat sausages in order to select autochthonous starters. Isolates (n = 104) obtained from 2 small manufacturers were identified as Staphylococcus xylosus, Staphylococcus equorum, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, and Staphylococcus carnosus. Genomically diverse isolates (n = 82) were selected for further analysis to determine the ability to produce enzymes (for example, nitrate-reductases, proteases, lipases) and antibiotic susceptibility. Autochthonous CNS producing a wide range of enzymes and showing low antibioresistance were selected as potential starters for future use in the production of dry fermented meat sausages.

This article analyzes the relation between investment age, measured as the number of years since investment spike, and dynamic productivity growth and its components, which include dynamic technical change, dynamic inefficiency change, and dynamic scale inefficiency change. The empirical application focuses on firm-level data for the Spanish food processing industry covering the period from 1996 to 2011. This investigation of the impact of firms’ investment decisions on productivity growth employs a dynamic production framework and analyzes the impact of these decisions on the components of dynamic productivity growth. Our findings show that dynamic productivity growth is negatively affected by investment spikes in both the meat processing and oils and fats industries, and that dynamic inefficiency change initially falls just after the infusion of large investment for oils and fats firms, but then grows as the firms acquire experience with this investment. We further find that investment spikes lead to improvements in dynamic technical change and worsening in dynamic technical inefficiency change in the meat processing industry, while dynamic scale inefficiency change was negatively impacted in both industries.

Eating quality, processing and storage attributes were examined in hot- and cold-boned beef (90 min and 24 h postmortem, respectively) post from two muscles (M. biceps femoris [BF] and M. pectoralis profundus [PP]) injected with curing brines at conventionally chilled (2–4C) and elevated temperature (15–17C) curing brines, stored over 21 days (4C). The pH/temperature profiles showed all hot-boned experimental treatments were outside of the reported ranges for the occurrence of cold or heat shortening. Hot-boned beef did not exhibit any significant added or reduced functionality compared to conventionally-boned beef i.e., cook loss and final yield unaffected in BF and PP muscles. Cold-boned BF products were harder (P

The effects of low-frequency, high-power ultrasound (40 kHz, 1,500 W) on meat quality and connective tissue collagen of beef semitendinosus muscle were assessed. Beef steaks were sonicated for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60 min. The effects of ultrasound on exudate yield, water-loss rate, cooking loss, meat tenderness, and connective tissue and collagen properties were assessed. The results revealed that ultrasound increased meat exudate and water-loss rates and reduced Warner–Bratzler shear force values. However, ultrasound had no effect on cooking loss or insoluble collagen content and little effects on collagen content and solubility. The mechanical strength of connective tissue decreased in ultrasound-treated beef samples. Following ultrasound treatment of ≥10 min, muscle fibers shrank, the endomysium was disrupted and the perimysium thickness decreased. Protein aggregates formed in the extracellular space. Low-frequency, high-power ultrasound had significant effects on meat texture and connective tissue properties. Practical Applications Intramuscular connective tissue (IMCT) and collagen are related to meat quality, especially meat tenderness and texture. Ultrasound treatment enhances tenderness and sensory attributes of meat by changing cellular structures. However, there are limited data on the effectiveness of ultrasound on meat quality from the viewpoint of IMCT. In this study, we reported the meat quality attributes affected by changes in connective tissue and collagen as a result of ultrasound treatment. The results obtained in this study would be useful for the scientific community and the meat industry.

With growing number of Muslim population and improved purchasing power of Muslim community in Asia-pacific zone, Halal food market appears as a potential opportunity for meat producers. The strict requirement of Halal standard, however, makes the entry to this potential market often challenging. This study analyses trade potential in Halal Bovine meat industry; and finds that India and Brazil have successfully entered the market and grabbed a substantial segment of the market. Australia, being a leader in global Bovine meat supply, stays far behind in the race. Collaboration with Muslim countries (that have advanced in developing acceptable Halal standard) would help Australia to take a lead in the Global Halal Bovine meat market.

Pre-emulsified linseed oil with sodium caseinate was used to partially replace pork fat in commercial formulations of bologna sausage. A central composite rotational design was carried out to determine the effects of pork fat content (5–20%) and linseed oil (2.5–12.5%) on the emulsion stability, texture profile, color and sensory acceptance of the products. The fat content above 15% influenced both hardness and chewiness of the products. Only the linear effect of the independent variable linseed oil was significant for L* values (P

The NaCl levels in dry fermented sausages were reduced by 50% or were substituted with KCl, CaCl2, or a blend of KCl and CaCl2 (1:1). The quality, safety, and the potential consumer market of dry fermented sausages were assessed. Neither 50% reduction of the NaCl content nor the substitution of 50% of the NaCl with KCl influenced the fermentation and maturation process. However, when CaCl2 was used as the substitute salt (50%), there was a significant decrease in pH, an increase in the water activity, and a decrease in lactic acid and micrococcus bacterial counts. Overall, the sensory acceptance decreased in dry fermented sausages with reduced sodium content. However, cluster analysis and internal preference mapping revealed potential for commercialization of samples with 50% of the NaCl content substituted with KCl or with a mixture of KCl and CaCl2 (1:1). Practical Application Excess consumption of sodium chloride, the primary source of dietary sodium in human diet, is associated with increased blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and some types of cancer. Fermented sausages are among the meat products, with higher sodium contents. The current results are of major importance for the meat industry, once they demonstrate that the low-sodium fermented sausages can potentially appeal to certain types of consumers and provide a way forward for future research and product development.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ultraviolet (UV)-C treatment on the decrease of the inoculated Staphylococcus aureus population in precooked shredded bullfrog meat. The precooked meat was inoculated with 8 log cfu/g of S. aureus. The packaged bullfrog's back meat was then exposed to low (0.65 mW/s/cm2), medium (1.04 mW/s/cm2) and high (1.68 mW/s/cm2) UV-C intensities over different time intervals (60, 100 and 140 s). A reduction of 3 log cfu/g was observed in all treatments when compared with the inoculated but nonirradiated treatment (T0). All the UV-C treatments of bullfrog's back meat used in this study reduced the S. aureus count (P

Processed meats represent a large percentage of muscle foods consumed in the western world. Various processing steps affect the physicochemical properties of the meat, compromise its nutritional components, or produce some compounds that are of health concern. Hence, the impact of oxidation on human health and the aging process and the influence of diet on these harmful reactions are of growing interest. Past decades have seen more focus on lipid oxidation, microbial deterioration, and pathogenicity, as well as production of carcinogenic compounds during meat processing. The oxidation of protein, which is a major component in meat systems, has received less attention. Protein oxidation has been defined as a covalent modification of protein induced either directly by reactive species or indirectly by reaction with secondary by-products of oxidative stress. Not only are these modifications critical for technological and sensory properties of muscle foods, they may have implications on human health and safety when consumed. Cooking, for example, has been observed to increase free radical generation while it also decreases the antioxidant protection systems in meat, both of which contribute to protein oxidation. Many other meat processing techniques, as well as other emerging technologies, may significantly affect protein oxidation and protein overall quality. This paper explores the current understanding of meat processing techniques and their possible effects on the status of protein oxidation and nutritional value, as well as their possible implications on human health.

Dates are an interesting source of bioactive compounds, and coproducts from the date industry are of potential use in the manufacturing of meat products. In the present research, spreadable pork liver pâtes were made using fresh date coproducts (2.5% and 7.5%) as a potential functional ingredient and an ethanolic annatto extract (128 mg/kg) as colorant. The effect of these 2 ingredients on the lipid oxidation and microbial quality of the pâtes was assessed during 21 d of storage. The pâtes containing 7.5% date paste were seen to have the highest content of phenolic compounds during storage. The combination of 2.5% date paste and annatto protected pâtes against lipid oxidation throughout the 21 d of storage, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances values being 0.47 mg MDA/kg at the end of this period, while other combinations increased oxidation compared to the control pâte. The control and those made with 2.5% date paste alone showed the highest counts of mesophilic aerobic bacteria, while the addition of annatto and/or 7.5% date paste reduced this count. The results suggest that a combination of both ingredients is necessary to reduce oxidation and microbial growth, but whereas the concentration of 2.5% is more appropriate to reduce oxidation, the combination with 7.5% date paste reduces the microbial counts. Both ingredients could have an opportunity of valorization in the meat industry for improving the quality. Practical application A combination of fresh date coproducts and annatto extract incorporated in spreadable pork liver pâtes protects them against oxidation and microbial growth. The meat industry could valorizate these date coproducts in pâtes to improve product quality and their phenolic content, avoiding to be wasted and reducing environmental problems.

Dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), which have partially replaced traditional livestock feedstuffs in recent years, contain unsaturated dietary fat that can lead to changes in the characteristics of pork fat with subsequent effects on further processed meat products. The objective of this study was to determine the impact that swine diets with varying levels (control, high, withdrawal, step down, and low concentrations) of DDGS had on the quality of fresh bratwursts and bacon. Iodine values showed that meat from animals fed higher concentrations of DDGS contained more unsaturated fats, and texture profile analysis confirmed that bacon fat was firmer in the control. In fresh bratwursts, increased dietary concentrations of DDGS negatively impacted color stability, lipid oxidation and texture of bratwursts. While fewer negative quality impacts were observed in bacon than in bratwursts, this study indicated that DDGS fed at these levels can negatively impact certain processed meat quality attributes. Practical Applications Dietary dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) are known to affect quality of fresh pork fat, predominantly by increasing the amount of unsaturated fatty acids. As an important component of processed meat products, it is critical to understand the impact of this altered fat on processed meat quality. Pork from pigs fed varied concentrations of DDGS was used to manufacture fresh bratwursts and bacon, which were evaluated for quality factors such as color, texture and lipid oxidation. Traditional laboratory analysis methods were followed along with novel, simple methods that would allow the evaluation of pork fat quality by small meat processors who may not have access to sophisticated equipment for more advanced analysis. This study not only reports impacts of DDGS on bacon and fresh bratwurst quality but also provides novel methods for fat quality analysis to be applied by the meat industry.

Emulsified cooked sausages (beef: 52.5%; pork: 15%; and pork back fat: 20%) were produced with 25, 50, 75 or 100% of their pork back fat content replaced by amorphous cellulose gel (ACG). The physicochemical characteristics (chemical composition, color and texture), fatty acid content and sensory profiles were measured. The moisture content increased and the fat content decreased with increasing fat replacement by ACG, which influenced the color and texture parameters. The 100% replacement of pork back fat decreased the n-6/n-3 ratio and increased the contents of vaccenic acid and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA-9c11t). Consumers observed no significant differences in color, aroma, flavor, texture and overall acceptance among the treatments. The results indicated that the replacement of up to 100% of pork back fat by ACG can be carried out without prejudice to the acceptance of the product, which allows the preparation of emulsified cooked sausages with fat reduction of approximately 84%. Practical Applications In this study, we evaluated the use of amorphous cellulose gel (ACG) as a substitute for pork back fat in emulsified cooked sausage. We observed that the ACG did not affect the sensory acceptance, even with 100% replacement of pork back fat. Apart from significant fat reduction, the sausages produced with 0% pork back fat showed a better fatty acid profile. We believe that these findings may be useful for the production of emulsified cooked sausages with healthier characteristics, since besides bringing benefits to the society, it will promote a positive image for the meat industry, which is heavily criticized because of the high fat content of meat products.

Summary The world meat industry has faced many challenges in recent years yet consumption continues to increase, particularly in emerging and developing countries. There has been substantial consumption growth in China over the past 30 years but only in the last 5 years has this had a major impact on the world meat economy. By 2013, China was easily the world's largest meat importer with increases in consumption outstripping production growth. Other issues currently facing the industry include higher production costs, competition from other proteins, consumer concerns about food safety and animal welfare, and environmental factors. The big challenge for the industry is to meet projected growth in meat consumption with sustainable production growth. Defining and measuring sustainability in meat production is not straightforward and there is a danger that too narrow a definition of sustainability will be used to monitor progress. The industry is capable of reaching sustainable meat consumption targets although the biggest challenges will be in developing and emerging economies. The industry is adopting new technology and using opportunities to add value for example in the marketing and processing of offal and animal by-products. L'industrie mondiale de la viande a ete confrontee a de nombreux defis ces dernieres annees. Pourtant, la consommation continue d'augmenter, en particulier dans les economies emergentes et en developpement. La consommation a augmente de maniere notable en Chine ces trente dernieres annees mais c'est uniquement au cours des cinq dernieres annees que des repercussions importantes se sont fait sentir sur l’economie mondiale de la viande. Des 2013, la Chine etait de loin le plus grand pays importateur de viande, la hausse de la consommation ayant depasse celle de la production. L'industrie est egalement confrontee a d'autres facteurs preoccupants comme la hausse des couts de production, la concurrence des autres sources de proteines, les preoccupations des consommateurs en matiere de securite des aliments et de bien-etre animal, et les questions environnementales. Le grand defi pour l'industrie est de repondre a la hausse prevue de la consommation de viande en augmentant la production de maniere durable. Il n'est pas evident de definir et de mesurer la durabilite de la production de viande et il est a craindre qu'une definition trop etroite de la durabilite soit adoptee pour suivre les progres. L'industrie est capable de repondre aux projections de consommation de viande de maniere durable mais cela restera un grand defi dans les economies emergentes et en developpement. L'industrie est en train d'adopter des technologies nouvelles et de saisir des occasions d'ajouter de la valeur, par exemple dans la commercialisation et la transformation des abats et des sous-produits animaux. In den letzten Jahren stand die globale Fleischwirtschaft zahlreichen Herausforderungen gegenuber, und dennoch steigt der Verbrauch insbesondere in Schwellen- und Entwicklungslandern weiterhin an. In den letzten 30 Jahren war in China eine erhebliche Verbrauchssteigerung zu beobachten, die jedoch erst in den letzten funf Jahren eine betrachtliche Auswirkung auf die weltweite Fleischwirtschaft hatte. Im Jahr 2013 war China der groste Fleischimporteur weltweit und verzeichnete schnelleren Verbrauchsanstieg als Produktionswachstum. Weitere Aspekte, die die Industrie zurzeit beschaftigen, sind u.a.: Gestiegene Produktionskosten, Konkurrenz durch andere Proteine, Bedenken der Verbraucher mit Blick auf Nahrungsmittelsicherheit und Tierschutz sowie Umweltfaktoren. Die grose Herausforderung fur die Fleischwirtschaft besteht darin, dem geplanten Wachstum im Fleischverbrauch mit nachhaltigem Produktionswachstum zu begegnen. Jedoch ist es nicht so ohne weiteres moglich, Nachhaltigkeit fur die Fleischproduktion zu definieren und zu messen; eine zu eng gefasste Definition konnte den Fortschritt bremsen. Die Fleischwirtschaft ist in der Lage, Zielvorgaben beim Fleischverbrauch nachhaltig zu erreichen, wobei die Schwellen- und Entwicklungslander die grosten Herausforderungen darstellen. Die Fleischwirtschaft wendet neue Technologien an und nutzt ihre Moglichkeiten in der Wertschopfungskette, z.B. in der Vermarktung und der Verarbeitung von Schlachtnebenerzeugnissen und tierischen Nebenerzeugnissen.

The objective of this study was to investigate effect of okara on the textural, color and rheological properties of pork meat gels. Pork meat gels with okara had better cooking characteristics than those without okara. As okara content increased in pork meat gels, there were significant increases in lightness (L*), hardness, chewiness and breaking force of gels but decreases in cohesiveness, while there was no significant difference found in gel springiness and resilience. Addition of okara also increased storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) of pork batters during the heating. Loss tangent (tan δ) patterns indicated that okara facilitate to hold more water and accelerated the denaturation to form an elastic gel network. Overall, okara can be used as an ingredient to improve the quality of pork-based products, especially to replace animal fats. Practical Applications Results of this investigation could have a potential for developing a novel meat product that contains dietary fiber since a product with better functionality, lower cost and more nutritional benefit is very importance for the meat processing industry.

Background Workers in poultry processing and pork meatpacking have high rates of acute injuries and chronic disease among. The presence of zoonotic pathogens in these workplaces may interact with injury. Methods We investigated incidence of worker injuries, lacerations, and infections reported by 10 companies from 2004 to 2009 and calculated annual incidence rates by industry and company along with temporal trends and job-related risk factors. Results Average annual mean total injury rates were 6.4 per 100 workers (poultry) and 13.2 per 100 workers (pork). Average annual mean rates for lacerations were 1.8 per 100 workers (poultry) and 1.9 per 100 (pork). Sharp tools and animal products were most frequently reported as sources for lacerations. Animal products were most frequently reported as sources of infected lacerations. Conclusions The results indicate that these industries continue to have high injury rates. The results also suggest that zoonotic pathogens may be preventable health and safety risks. Am. J. Ind. Med. 57:669–682, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of Salmonella sp. in raw meat products such as porcine and bovine minced meat, meat preparations including chopped, gourmet and grill porcine meat, bovine gourmet and stew meat, poultry products such as gourmet and chopped turkey, mechanically separated poultry meat and porcine fresh sausages (n = 1,943). Salmonella sp. occurred in 2.9% of the tested products. The bacteria were absent in bovine and porcine minced meat (0/300) and bovine meat preparations (0/55); whereas, Salmonella sp. occurred in 0.4% (1/260) of porcine meat preparations and in 0.7% (2/305) of fresh sausages. The highest prevalence of the pathogen was noted in poultry products such as poultry meat preparations (5.5%, 50/913) and mechanically separated meat (3.6%, 4/110). Practical Applications The present study demonstrates that poultry meat preparations and mechanically separated poultry meat are more frequent carriers of Salmonella sp. than porcine and bovine meat products. Thus, special attention shall be given to hygienic conditions and appropriate thermal treatment during the processing of poultry meat in meat processing plants and households to avoid cross-contamination. The information contained in this article may also be useful for national and international food safety regulatory officials.

The effect of ground mustard seed on the formation of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) and malondialdehyde was evaluated by comparing their concentration in fresh and stored cooked model pork meat product prepared with addition of two levels of mustard seed and without this flavoring. The sensory quality of product was also determined using quantitative descriptive analysis. Obtained results pointed out that the addition of mustard seed to the composition of cooked model meat products decreased TBARS values. The concentration of cholesterol oxides in model meat product samples was between 5.14 and 30.42 µg/100 g product during 12 days of chilling storage. The results showed that a low amount (0.5%) of ground mustard seed was effective in inhibiting the formation of oxysterols. The highest effectiveness of mustard seed was observed in case of 7-ketocholesterol and 7β-hydroxycholesterol formation. The results of sensory evaluation indicated that mustard seed at the level of 0.2 and 0.5% of model pork products had positive effects on their sensory qualities. The lower concentration of COPs in the investigated cooked meat product with mustard seed addition at 1 day since the production may be connected with the presence of phenolic compounds generated during heat-treatment of meat product such as canolol. Practical application: Oxidation processes are one of the major problems encountered in meat processing and storage. The addition of natural antioxidants is a major way to inhibit oxidation processes in meat products. Mustard seeds are excellent source of phenolic compounds, which have been reported to show good antioxidant activity. The results of this study suggest that incorporation of ground mustard into cooked meat product can improve lipid stability and functional value for consumers. Therefore, mustard seed can serve as an ingredient in developing healthy meat products.

Zero restrictions implied by Gardner's (1975) model are exploited to develop a simple test for perfect price transmission. Applying the test to the domestic marketing channels for U.S. beef and pork, we reject the hypothesis of competitive market clearing for pork, but not for beef. A retest using the four-firm concentration ratio in U.S. meat packing as a proxy for market power affirms results from the simple test. [JEL Classification: Q11, Q13].

BACKGROUND The effects of spicing on the physicochemical and microbial characteristics and drying behaviour of kaddid, a Tunisian dry-cured meat, were studied. In addition, the quality characteristics of traditional sun-dried kaddid and processed convective-dried kaddid were compared. RESULTS Spicing had no significant effect on the pH and water activity of brined beef meat at 21% (w/w), but it reduced the product water and salt contents. Effects of spicing on brined meat microbial flora were the appearance of sulfito-reducer bacteria, an increase in total mesophilic aerobic flora (+15%) and staphylococci (+26%) and a decrease in faecal coliforms (−23%). The salted beef meat sorption behaviour was affected by spicing. Besides, spicing increased the kaddid drying rate, allowing a significant decrease in the drying process time (−33%). Traditional and processed kaddid presented comparable microbial characteristics. Both drying methods led to a reduction in the number of total mesophilic aerobic flora in unspiced and spiced kaddid and of faecal coliforms in spiced kaddid. CONCLUSION The study showed that spicing, as a step in kaddid meat processing to enhance the final product flavour, caused changes in the salted meat physicochemical and microbial characteristics and accelerated the drying rate. Convective drying at 30 °C is recommended to produce kaddid having the same characteristics as the traditional product. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry

We develop a tractable theoretical framework for analyzing the effect of advertising efficiency and spillovers on productivity growth in advertising. Maintaining the separability assumption between sales and production technology, the proposed methodology relies on sales cost function decomposition of advertising productivity and the duality between media distance and sales cost functions. Utilizing a flexible Translog distance function, the methodology is applied to the advertising activity of meat processing firms in Greece during 1983-2008. Changes in allocative efficiency, scale economies, and, to a lesser extent, technical change and advertising spillovers were the most important drivers of productivity growth during the period analyzed. Copyright 2012, Oxford University Press.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this work was to study the post-mortem evolution of potential biomarkers (µ-calpain activity and proteolytic profile) of meat tenderisation in bovine longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle from several biotypes coming from two beef breeds (‘Asturiana de los Valles’ and ‘Asturiana de la Montana’) and showing different levels of muscular hypertrophy (mh/mh, mh/+, + /+). RESULTS: LD samples were taken at 2, 12, 24 and 48 h and 3, 7, 14 and 21 days post-mortem. The presence of muscular hypertrophy produced a faster rate of pH decline, faster exhaustion of µ-calpain activity and earlier occurrence of proteolytic changes. Changes in the electrophoretic pattern of some peptides from sarcoplasmic (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) and myofibrillar (troponin T and troponin I) muscle extracts within the first 24 h significantly correlated with meat toughness and allowed accurate discrimination of meat products into two groups: (1) fast tenderising meat, coming from mh-biotypes, and (2) late tenderising meat, from normal (+/+) biotypes. CONCLUSION: Early monitoring (within 24 h after slaughter) of selected biomarkers in LD muscle allowed accurate prediction of ultimate meat toughness and could be used in the meat industry as a tool for early classification of beef into fast and late tenderising meat. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry

This article reviews current and future techniques that are applied in the meat industry to ensure product safety. Consumer demand for high-quality food and raised economic standards have triggered the development of emergent technologies to replace traditional well-established preservation processes. Some promising nonthermal and thermal technologies, such as chemical and biological interventions, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), irradiation, active packaging, natural antimicrobials and microwave, radiofrequency, and steam pasteurization, are under consideration for the preservation of meat products. All these alternative technologies are designed to be mild, energy-conserving, environmentally friendly, and maintaining natural appearance and flavor, while eliminating pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. Their combination, as in the hurdle theory, may improve their effectiveness for decontamination. The objective of this article is to reflect on the possibilities and especially the limitations of the previously mentioned technologies.