Carcass and meat quality research to meet market needs

Abstract

The relationship between carcass and meat quality research and industry requirements is examined with reference to changes in consumer demand. It is argued that much applied research has not focused sharply enough on commercial requirements and that technology transfer has been slow. But there are signs that the pace of future development will be faster, associated with a reorientation of research objectives. The three key factors stimulating change are as follows. (1) Increasing demand by retailers for a consistent product (a demand enforced by the buying power of the major multiple grocers). (2) The reappraisal by breeders of selection objectives. (3) Recent developments in sensor technology and the exploitation of information technology at the producer-processor interface. The implications of each of these are discussed. Driven by these factors research will be targeted increasingly on integrated systems from production to consumption, aimed at specific markets setting different balances between production costs and quality. These will be blueprints for best operating practices and the ‘state of the art’ against which new research developments will be evaluated. Throughout the review, emphasis is placed on the importance of good communication between research workers and industry to confront change and realize the opportunities created.