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Simple Summary: The modern consumer is increasingly attentive to the characteristics of products, including meat, both from an organoleptic point of view and from that of food safety. At the same time, the need to reduce costs associated with product storage is increasingly pressing. In this framework, it is therefore important to study the qualitative response of the meat product subjected to different ageing times using the wet method. Finding the right time to age meat will allow the obtention of higher meat quality for consumers while also reducing storage costs. Therefore, this study tries to analyze the influence of the storage technique on the meat quality, taking into consideration other fundamental factors present in the marketed meat, such as, first of all, the breed, age and the potential animal stress. Fresh samples of Longissimus thoracis of Charolais (n = 12), Romagnola (n = 15), Limousine (n = 77), and crossbreed (n = 62) animals were evaluated with different storage periods (0, 4, 9, and 14 days). Proximate analysis (i.e., pH, humidity, color, free water content, and physical parameters) was performed for each sample. The data obtained were evaluated with a mixed model, setting 5 fixed effects (breed, storage time, animals age, EUROP conformation, number of animal transports) and the animal as random. The results demonstrated that meat quality was affected mainly by the wet ageing period and that the visual and tactile parameters were also found to be susceptible to the storage time. The conservation entailed a decrease in meat humidity and an increase in L* and b* traits; it also led to a decrease in the hardness of the sample, in turn affecting the other texture profile analysis parameters considered. Fixed effects affected in different ways the traits analyzed i.e., pH and humidity changed with breed, as well as with EUROP classification, animals' age for some TPA parameters, and the number of animal transports for both visual and tactile parameters. Wet ageing influenced the meat quality, often improving it, confirming how important further research would be to identify precise storage times in relation to the parameters studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the grazing behaviour of two pig genetic types, Cinta Senese (CS) and its crossbreed with Large White (LW x CS), farmed in natural rearing system in Tuscany, as influenced by diurnal time slot and by the season of the year. In situ direct observations on two herds of grazing pigs were conducted during daylight hours for five consecutive days and repeated bimonthly for a period of one year. The observations were grouped into three diurnal time slots and the relative frequencies of the main activities were obtained. Data were subjected to ANOVA with genetic type, diurnal time slot and month as fixed effects. The results, valid for the genotypes and the specific rearing system considered, highlighted that pigs displayed species-specific foraging behaviours for a long time and showed very low levels of other behaviours as aggressive or stereotypes. Both genotypes spent about 72% of the daylight hours for feeding, mainly dedicated to grass feeding. Nevertheless, CS pigs devoted less time to grazing pasture respect to LWxCS. Throughout the months, grazing was preferred to rooting, especially when herbaceous resources were more available. The proportion of diurnal time dedicated to feeding by pigs was reduced with the hot season, but CS seems more affected compared to LWxCS. In extensive rearing systems, Cinta Senese pig and its crossbreeds employed most of the diurnal time in grass feeding. Cinta Senese pigs devoted less time to grazing pasture respect to LWxCS, especially during hot months and the central hours of the day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the potential of Fourier transformation near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy to estimate the nutritional value and the chemical composition of natural pastures. Variability from all samples of pastures available is considered in order to assess the applicability of the calibration models in the future predictions. Chemical components (dry matter, crude protein, ash, ether extract, crude fibre, fibrous fractions) of grass samples were determined by applying official methods, and milk and meat forage units were calculated. Calibration and validation models were developed between chemical–nutritional parameters and NIRS spectral data using partial least square regression (PLS). The capacity of methods has been achieved using two validation approaches: the first using an independent dataset for prediction and the second by cross-validation process. The results are evaluated in term of coefficient of determination, root-mean-square error and residual prediction deviation. Despite the wide variability of the data set, the results of FT-NIRS have been able to estimate the chemical composition of natural and naturalised pasture with good accuracy and precision, while for nutritional value parameters, a further evaluation may be useful. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Simple Summary: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been applied to analyse the quality of forage and animal feed. However, grasslands more than other raw materials are linked to many variability factors (e.g., site, year, occurring species, etc.) that can represent strong points as well as weak points in NIRS estimation. This research is aimed at testing NIRS application for the determination of chemical characteristics of fresh, undried and unground samples of meadows and grasslands located in north-central Apennine. The interest lies in the possibility of monitoring grassland resources, supporting the decision in terms of the need of supplementation and identifying the critical periods for cutting grassland intended for animal feeding. The results indicated that FT-NIRS models could be used in the real-time quantification of crude protein, fibrous fraction and dry matter, while for lignin only a screening test could be considered. Minor components of grassland such as ash and lipids need improvement. As a practical point, a key factor of FT-NIRS in grassland chemical quality estimation is the absence of samples preparation and the importance of the parameters that have obtained the best results in animal diet formulation. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and closed spectroscopy methods have been applied to analyse the quality of forage and animal feed. However, grasslands are linked to variability factors (e.g., site, year, occurring species, etc.) which restrict the prediction capacity of the NIRS. The aim of this study is to test the Fourier transform NIRS application in order to determine the chemical characteristics of fresh, undried and unground samples of grassland located in north-central Apennine. The results indicated the success of FT-NIRS models for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) on fresh grassland samples (R2 > 0.90, in validation). The model can be used to quantitatively determine CP and ADF (residual prediction deviation-RPD > 3 and range error ratio- RER > 10), followed by DM and NDF that maintain a RER > 10, and are sufficient for screening for the lignin fraction (RPD = 2.4 and RER = 8.8). On the contrary, models for both lipid and ash seem not to be usable at a practical level. The success of FT-NIRS quantification for the main chemical parameters is promising from the practical point of view considering both the absence of samples preparation and the importance of these parameters for diet formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The increasing demand of natural and environmentally sustainable foods promotes the use of natural extract as curing agents in meat products. In this context, the extensive rearing system, characteristic of autochthonous pigs, could represent an added value for the consumers. Moreover, the introduction of new types of products to enhance the second-choice portion of meat can be economically important. The present study aims to test and to evaluate the quality traits during storage times of frankfurter-type sausages of Cinta Senese using natural extract to replace nitrites and nitrates as curing agents. Results of this study demonstrate that those products are safe for the human consumption, but some sensorial and physical traits could be improved. The implementation of a new product using meat of a local breed and agricultural by products as curing agents could be interesting both in terms of sustainability and valorization of the territory and of Cinta Senese products. Frankfurter-type sausages (called sausages) were manufactured using Cinta Senese meat. Two different formulations were considered: (i) nitrite and nitrate as curing agents (NIT), (ii) natural mixture (NAT) totally replacing the synthetic curing agents. Microbiological, chemical, and physical characteristics during three different storage times (7, 30, 60 days) were investigated, while sensorial traits were evaluated at the end of the period. The main foodborne pathogens (Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, coagulase positive Staphylococcus spp., Salmonella spp., total bacterium at 30 °C) were absent in both sausage groups. Both types of sausage had a high content of fat probably due to the high intramuscular fat of the local breed. The fatty acid composition of NAT sausages would seem slightly less efficient in the lipid oxidation control. Regarding color parameters, NIT sausages showed greater lightness and redness, while NAT ones were more yellow, thanks to the effect of nitrate on color. All texture parameters resulted higher in NIT, except for the springiness. Storage time mainly affected total microbial count, pH, and color. The addition of natural extract changed the perception of some sensorial properties above all in terms of taste and odor. Natural extract represented an alternative to synthetic additives in Cinta Senese sausages even if some attributes could be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]