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Meat Quality Measurement
Summary
SAC leads an international research project which brings together 120 experts from 25 countries (including 19 from Europe). It aims to develop methods for measuring body composition and meat quality in farm animals and to devise internationally standardised principles of carcass classification and grading. These are necessary for the development of value-based payment and marketing systems and to meet the urgent need for market orientated breeding programmes.
Key Challenges
The project is known as COST Action - Farm Animal Imaging (FAIM). Its main aim is to identify, optimise and standardise non-invasive in vitro and post mortem imaging and spectroscopic methods for the measurements of body composition and meat quality in livestock to integrate automated systems for their objective assessment, and to facilitate effective data capture and management at the individual animal level. Project outputs will be disseminated to industry, EU scientists and policy makers. They will be informed through the large quantity of high impact scientific publications, newsletters, public information and briefing papers produced.
Key Benefits
The project will generate knowledge, protocols and tools of substantial value to EU food and agriculture. It will coordinate and strengthen EU scientific and technical research through improved cooperation and interactions. This will be essential for:
- achieving the required advances in measuring carcass yield and meat quality
- meeting the industry need for value-based payment and marketing systems
- improving production efficiency throughout the meat supply chain
"SAC is leading international research to measure meat quality through electronic imaging."
FAIM will also support EU legislation on individual animal identification through showing the additional benefits of feeding back abattoir data on individual animals for optimising management, breeding and providing phenotypic information which will facilitate future implementation of genome wide selection.
This research offers important benefits for EU research, business and consumers. It will be an effective way to close the gap between European industry and academia, and the technology gap between Non-EU countries and EU, by making faster and more efficient use of the scientific know-how in EU through increased networking at the top level. It will develop and suggest standardised methods for the evaluation of carcass/body composition and MQ, will provide the principles for the establishment of a specific data warehouse (data, software) and provide latest knowledge in the field of individual traceability. This will harmonise the meat market in EU and prepared the floor for genome wide selection, which has the potential to double the genetic progress in carcass and MQ traits.
The research will also have high relevance for European society as it benefits:
- Increase the efficiency and sustainability of all elements of the meat supply chain
- Enabling development and homogenisation of objective and accurate measurement methods/equipment with fast penetration to the markets
- Simplification of processes and increasing flexibility while reducing costs – significant paperwork and labour savings.
- Promote and develop up to date measurements methods, data acquisition and management , as well as automated data analysis procedures
- Contribute to the creation of human resources, specialists with high knowledge in a topical, high performance domain.
FAIM will also stimulate further EU and national funding for relevant collaborative research in this field.
Our Partners
COST Action (FAIM) brings together > 120 experts from 19 (25) EU countries (and beyond).