Factors influencing the willingness to pay a price premium for red meat with potential to improve consumer wellness in Australia and the United States of America.

This study determined consumers' attitudes towards physical and mental wellness related to red meat consumption and their willingness to pay (WTP) more for the meat. In 2019, two online surveys of red meat eaters were conducted in the USA (n = 1000) and Australia (n = 523) using commercial platforms. Results showed that over 90% of respondents indicated interest in purchasing red meat to improve their wellness status. Additionally, about 85% indicated their WTP more for red meat for its wellness benefits, with Americans indicating stronger willingness than Australian respondents. The potential of meat consumption to improve overall wellness among red meat eaters was a dominant factor influencing consumers' WTP more. Other factors that increased WTP included frequency of meat consumption, physical exercise, sleep quality, number of children in a household, partnership status, and economic position. Outcomes from this study highlight a unique opportunity for the meat industry to position meat on its qualities that include wellness improvement if backed up with robust scientific evidence.

Survey of New Zealand consumer attitudes to consumption of meat and meat alternatives.

This study examined consumers' consumption, motivations, and concerns regarding meat and meat alternatives by means of an online survey of 1061 New Zealand consumers and review of literature. Outcomes of the survey indicate New Zealanders are overwhelmingly omnivorous (93%), regard taste as the most important factor in their meat purchasing decision followed by price and freshness and consider environmental impact and social responsibility of less importance. Those surveyed indicated willingness to pay 17-24% more for food safety and sustainability related meat attributes. About half of respondents lowered their meat consumption the previous year, mainly red and processed meats, due to lack of affordability and health concerns. Although those surveyed showed high awareness about meat alternatives, their consumption level of the products was very low and more prevalent for female, younger and more educated individuals. Overall, the outlook for meat consumption and meat industry in New Zealand is positive and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.

Relationships between intramuscular fat percentage and fatty acid composition in M. longissimus lumborum of pasture-finished lambs in New Zealand.

This paper reports relationships between fatty acids (FAs) and intramuscular fat (IMF)% in M. longissimus lumborum samples from 108 pasture-fed ewe lambs. Samples ranged in IMF from 1 to 6%. Relationships between %FA with total IMF% were mainly linear with percentages of saturated and monounsaturated FAs (MUFA), including trans-FAs, increasing and polyunsaturated FAs decreasing as IMF% increased. Normalized FA content data at 5.5% relative to 1.5% IMF, showed the highest relative increase for C14:0 as rates of endogenous synthesis increase with higher IMF deposition. This can be related to enhanced C12:0 elongation and lower rates of C14:0 desaturation, supported by a preferential desaturation of C18:1 trans-11 and C18:0 compared with C14:0 and C16:0 as IMF increased. The greatest normalized increase after C14:0 was anteisoC17:0 followed by other branched chain FAs and then trans-MUFA and C18:2 cis-9,trans-11. Finally, C22:6 and C22:5 showed higher relative increase than C20:5 indicating greater rates of elongation and desaturation past C20:5 at higher levels of fatness.

Consumer liking of M. longissimus lumborum from New Zealand pasture-finished lamb is influenced by intramuscular fat.

Palatability of meat is known to be affected by intramuscular fat (IMF), but the effect in relatively low-fat New Zealand lamb is unknown. This study evaluated the eating quality of 108 loins (M. longissimus lumborum) from a single flock of ewe-lambs. Loins ranged from 1.09-5.68% IMF and were stratified into 6 groups: 1.65, 2.12, 2.65, 3.20, 3.58 and 4.40%. Consumers' (n = 165) overall liking of lamb increased significantly at around 3% IMF, achieving maximum scores at 4% IMF. One consumer cluster (n = 111) showed a linear increase in overall liking with increasing IMF%, regarded as 'IMF lovers: the more the better', while a second cluster (n = 54) preferred 2.5-3.5% IMF, described as 'IMF optimizers: just the right amount'. IMF% was modestly correlated (~ + 0.25) with all sensory attributes except juiciness. Liking scores were modestly correlated with monounsaturated (~ + 0.25) and polyunsaturated (~ - 0.20) fatty acids. Results suggest aiming for IMF% levels in New Zealand lamb beyond 3% to maximize eating quality for premium markets in particular.

Evaluating the performance of a miniaturized NIR spectrophotometer for predicting intramuscular fat in lamb: A comparison with benchtop and hand-held Vis-NIR spectrophotometers.

This study compares a miniaturized spectrophotometer to benchtop and hand-held Vis-NIR instruments in the spectral range of 900-1700 nm for prediction of intramuscular fat (IMF) content of freeze-dried ground lamb meat; and their ability to differentiate fresh lamb meat based on animal age (4 vs 12 months). The performance of the miniaturized spectrophotometer was not affected by sample temperature equilibration time. Partial Least Square regression models for IMF showed Rcv2 = 0.86-0.89 and RMSECV = 0.36-0.40 values for all instruments. Day-to-day instrumental variation adversely affected performance of the miniaturized spectrophotometer (R2p = 0.27, RMSEP = 1.28). This negative effect was overcome by representing day-to-day variation in the model. The benchtop spectrophotometer and miniaturized spectrophotometer differentiated lamb meat by animal age. The miniaturized spectrophotometer has potential to be a fast, ultra-compact and cost-effective device for predicting IMF in freeze-dried ground lamb meat and for age classification of fresh lamb meat.

Effect of supplementation with linseed or a blend of aromatic spices and time on feed on fatty acid composition, meat quality and consumer liking of meat from lambs fed dehydrated alfalfa or corn.

Cross-bred lambs (n=72) were fed finishing diets using a factorial arrangement of treatments: BASAL DIET (alfalfa pellets or corn), SUPPLEMENT (none, linseed or aromatic spices), TIME ON FEED (41 or 83days). Carcass and meat quality traits, fatty acid composition, color stability and consumer liking were determined. Feeding alfalfa improved sensory ratings and fatty acid composition of lamb. However, corn or longer alfalfa feeding would be recommended if heavier and fatter carcasses are sought. Consumer liking and fatty acid composition of lamb were improved with addition of spices and linseed, respectively. But additional antioxidant strategies should be considered to delay meat color deterioration during storage if lambs are fed corn-linseed for 83days. Although alfalfa basal diet and linseed supplementation improved fatty acid composition, feeding the basal diets for at least 41days resulted in low n-3 fatty acid concentrations in muscle.

Effects of whole linseed and rumen-protected conjugated linoleic acid enriched diets on beef quality.

Instrumental assessments and sensory tests were performed to evaluate the effects of diet and postmortem ageing time (1, 7 and 21 days) on beef quality. A total of 48 Friesian calves were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments: control, whole linseed (10% linseed), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) (2% protected CLA), and whole linseed+CLA (10% linseed and 2% protected CLA). Animals were slaughtered at 458±16.6 kg live weight and 11 months of age. Ageing was more significant than diet on most instrumental parameters. Meat from linseed enriched diets had greater drip loss (P⩽0.001) and intramuscular fat (P⩽0.01) than meat from animals fed CLA. Beef aged for 7 and 21 days had lower cooking losses (P⩽0.01) and shear force (P⩽0.001) than beef aged for 1 day. Lightness was affected only by display time. The addition of CLA in the diet increased hue and yellowness, whereas the inclusion of linseed decreased these values, as well as increased redness. Linseed in the diet decreased fat odour (P⩽0.05), but increased beef (P⩽0.01) and liver (P⩽0.05) flavours. Meat aged for 21 days was significantly more rancid (P⩽0.001), even under vacuum storage. Several organoleptic properties were improved with the inclusion of linseed in the diet, whereas they remained unaffected by the inclusion of CLA.

Effects of acerola fruit extract on sensory and shelf-life of salted beef patties from grinds differing in fatty acid composition.

The effects of added acerola fruit extract on sensory and shelf-life of beef patties were evaluated. Ground beef was obtained from young bulls fed one of four diets (CON: control, LIN: linseed, CLA: conjugated linoleic acid, LINCLA: LIN plus CLA). Pre-salted (1.8% w/w) beef patties (7.7% fat) with (0.15% w/w) or without acerola were packed in modified atmosphere (80%O2:20%CO2) and displayed in a retail case for 8days. There were no interactions between diet and antioxidant treatments. LIN and/or CLA had no effect on color and lipid stability during display. However, LIN increased n-3 fatty acids in beef and tended to increase intensity of rancid flavor. Addition of acerola extended shelf-life by at least 3 days by improving color and lipid stability and a decreased trend in intensity of rancid flavor of patties without affecting microbial counts. Thus, the use of acerola as a natural antioxidant can be considered an effective method to retard color and lipid oxidation in beef patties.

Influence of PA6 nanocomposite films on the stability of vacuum-aged beef loins during storage in modified atmospheres.

A masterbatch of polyamide 6 (PA6) containing dispersed nanoclays, was used to fabricate a novel multilayer film for vacuum packed meat. Performance of the nanocomposite was compared to a control PA6 multilayer and a high barrier commercial film. Addition of nanoclays improved oxygen barrier properties, UV-blocking capability and stiffness. Beef loins were vacuum-aged using the three films for 0 7, 14 and 21 days at 2°C. After each ageing time, beef steaks were packaged in commercial trays and high oxygen atmosphere and stored at 4°C for 9 days. Beef quality parameters and gas content were studied during display time in MAP (1, 3, 6 and 9 d). Beef quality parameters were not influenced by the packaging materials used during ageing and the performance of nanocomposites was comparable to high barrier films. Ageing had a positive impact on the stabilization of redness up to day 6 in MAP. Thereafter, oxymyoglobin content and oxidation levels were negatively influenced by ageing.

Effect of aging time in vacuum on tenderness, and color and lipid stability of beef from mature cows during display in high oxygen atmosphere package.

The effect of aging time in vacuum on tenderness, and lipid and color stability of modified-atmosphere packaged (MAP) beef during display was evaluated in eight Friesian mature cows. Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) sections were vacuum packaged and aged for 0, 3, 6, 8, 14 and 21 days. After each aging time, the LTL sections were cut into steaks and packaged in high oxygen atmosphere (80% O2: 20% CO2). Meat shear force, and color and lipid stability were evaluated at 0, 3, 6, and 9 days of simulated retail display. Aging for 6 or 8 days improved beef tenderness with color stability, instrumental discoloration (R630-R580) and visual color evaluation in MAP similar to those of short-time aged (3 d) or un-aged (0 d) beef. Longer aging times (14 and 21 d) resulted in tenderness values similar to those obtained with meat aged for 8 days but affected negatively color and lipid stability and, consequently, reduced the shelf life of beef in MAP.

Spanish, French and British consumers' acceptability of Uruguayan beef, and consumers' beef choice associated with country of origin, finishing diet and meat price.

The effect of country of origin (local, Switzerland, Argentina, Uruguay), finishing diet (grass, grass plus concentrate, concentrate), and price (low, medium, high) on consumer's beef choice and segmentation was evaluated in Spain, France and United Kingdom. Sensory acceptability of Uruguayan beef from different production systems was also evaluated and contrasted with consumers' beef choices. Origin was the most important characteristic for the choice of beef with preference for meat produced locally. The second most important factor was animal feed followed by price with preference for beef from grass-fed animals and lowest price. The least preferred product was beef from Uruguay, concentrate-fed animals and highest price. Sensory data showed higher acceptability scores for Uruguayan beef from grass-fed animals with or without concentrate supplementation than animals fed concentrate only. Consumer segments with distinct preferences were identified. Foreign country promotion seems to be fundamental for marketing beef in Europe, as well as the development of different marketing strategies to satisfy each consumer segment.

Majorcan Black Pig as a traditional pork production system: improvements in slaughterhouse procedures and elaboration of pork carpaccio as an alternative product.

The Majorcan Black Pig (MBP) was used as a model of differentiated traditional system within the Q-PorkChains project. The MBP farms were taken as an example of traditional system using a local breed which claims for high meat quality products. Welfare Quality® protocol was applied at the slaughterhouse and improvement strategies related to ante-mortem conditions and technological meat quality were defined. Pork carpaccio from MBP was elaborated to evaluate its sensory properties as an alternative to the existing MBP products. MBP tenderloins were better suited than those from pigs from a commercial breed to elaborate this product.

Characterization of Longissimus thoracis, Semitendinosus and Masseter muscles and relationships with technological quality in pigs. 1. Microscopic analysis of muscles.

Three porcine muscles (Longissimus thoracis, Semitendinosus, Masseter), known to have large differences in biochemical and histological traits, were fully characterized and the link between muscle structure and quality evaluated. The oxidative Masseter had more pigment, higher content of metmyoglobin, haem iron, protein and collagen, and was redder with higher fibre numbers, fibre circularity, pH and water holding capacity than the glycolytic Longissimus. Fibre type distribution showed predominance of type IIB in Longissimus and Semitendinosus white, type I in Semitendinosus red and IIA in Masseter. Type I fibres were larger than type IIB and IIA in Semitendinosus and Masseter, respectively, but not in the Longissimus, indicating that fibre size is muscle dependent. Muscle redness was positively correlated with type I fibre traits, haem iron and metmyoglobin, and negatively associated with type II fibre characteristics, non-haem iron and oxymyoglobin. Expressible juice had positive correlation with fibre size and negative with fibre number and connective tissue.

Characterization of Longissimus thoracis, Semitendinosus and Masseter muscles and relationships with technological quality in pigs. 2. Composition of muscles.

The composition of three porcine muscles (Longissimus thoracis: LT, Semitendinosus: ST, Masseter: MS) was characterized and its link with muscle quality was evaluated. The LT muscle had a higher content of tyrosine, tryptophan, and carbohydrates and a lower content of vitamin E and haem iron than the MS muscle, while the ST had similar composition to MS but a lower content of haem iron. Large differences between muscles were observed in relative amounts of most of the major fatty acids. The LT muscle had higher saturated fatty acids (SFA) and n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratio, and lower polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), PUFA:SFA ratio, unsaturation index and average fatty acid chain length than the ST and MS muscles. Muscle pH, redness and chroma were positively correlated with vitamin E and unsaturated lipids and negatively correlated with tyrosine, tryptophan, carbohydrates and saturated lipids, whereas muscle lightness and expressible juice showed similar correlations but an opposite sign with these variables.

Effect of whole linseed and rumen-protected conjugated linoleic acid enriched diets on feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and adipose tissue development in young Holstein bulls.

Forty-eight young Holstein bulls (slaughtered at 458.6±9.79 kg body weight) were used to evaluate the effect of whole linseed and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on animal performance, adipose tissue development, and carcass characteristics. The animals were fed with one of four isoenergetic and isoproteic diets: control (0% linseed, 0% CLA), linseed (10% linseed, 0% CLA), CLA (0% linseed, 2% CLA), and linseed plus CLA (10% linseed, 2% CLA). Animal performance and carcass characteristics were unaffected by diet composition. Adding linseed or CLA to the concentrate diet did not result in significant differences in adipocyte size and number or lipogenic enzyme activity. However, while the frequency distribution of subcutaneous adipocyte diameters followed a normal distribution, the frequency distribution of intramuscular adipocyte diameters was not normal in any dietary group (skewness coefficients: 0.8, 1.2, 0.9, 0.8 for control, linseed, CLA, and linseed plus CLA, respectively; P<0.05), indicative of adipocyte proliferation in the intramuscular adipose tissue.

Effect of castration and slaughter age on performance, carcass, and meat quality traits of Holstein calves fed a high-concentrate diet.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of castration and slaughter age on performance and meat quality of Holstein bulls fed a high-concentrate diet. A total of 132 animals (116 ± 3.7 kg of BW and 97 ± 2.4 d of age) were randomly allocated in 6 pens using a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Three castration ages [bulls, animals castrated at 3 mo (CAS3), and animals castrated at 8 mo of age (CAS8)] and 3 slaughter ages (10, 12, and 14 mo of age) were evaluated. Feed intake was recorded daily using a computerized concentrate feeder, and BW was recorded every 14 d. The 9th to 11th rib section was removed at 24 h postmortem and dissected into lean, fat, and bone, and meat quality was evaluated on the LM. Castration, at 3 or 8 mo of age, reduced (P < 0.001) ADG and muscle pH and impaired (P < 0.01) feed efficiency. As slaughter age increased, concentrate consumption increased linearly (P < 0.001) and feed efficiency was reduced linearly (P < 0.001). Slaughter age also affected (P < 0.001) meat pH. Significant interactions between castration and slaughter ages were also observed in carcass conformation (P < 0.05), fatness (P < 0.001), percentage of subcutaneous fat (P < 0.01), carcass dressing percentage (P < 0.05), and intramuscular fat (P < 0.05) and tended to be significant in intermuscular fat (P = 0.09). In Holstein animals, castration age affects performance and meat pH regardless of slaughter age, and slaughter age affects performance and meat pH independently of castration. However, in Holstein animals, castration affects several characteristics related to fat deposition differently depending on slaughter age, such as carcass fat cover and intramuscular, intermuscular, and subcutaneous fat.

Effect of an elevated monounsaturated fat diet on pork carcass and meat quality traits and tissue fatty acid composition from York-crossed barrows and gilts.

Fifty-seven York-crossed barrows and gilts were fed either a grain and soy diet (CONTROL with 28% C18:1) or a similar diet enriched with oleic acid (HO with 43% C18:1, Greedy-Grass OLIVA®). There were no interactions between dietary treatment and gender and there were no differences in intramuscular and subcutaneous fatty acid composition between sexes (P>0.05). Similar primal cut yields, composition of major primal cuts, and carcass and meat quality characteristics were found for HO and CONTROL fed pigs. Apart from a few significant but small differences for some fatty acids, intramuscular fatty acid composition was similar for both dietary treatments. Subcutaneous fat from HO fed pigs had a 6.9% increase in total monounsaturated fatty acids and a 9.3% reduction in total polyunsaturated fatty acids (P<0.05) compared with CONTROL fed animals, without adversely affecting carcass quality and producing suitable hams for processing by the meat industry.

Effect of vitamin A restriction on performance and meat quality in finishing Holstein bulls and steers.

Twenty-four Holstein steers and 23 Holstein bulls (initial body weight= 252 ± 3.5 kg and age= 187 ± 7.5d) were randomly allocated to 4 treatments arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design with gender (bulls vs steers) and vitamin A supplementation (either restricted at 1.3 × 1000 IU/kg, VAR, or supplemented at 4.6 × 1000 IU/kg, CTR) to evaluate the effect of vitamin A restriction on performance, carcass and meat quality traits of Holstein steers and bulls. Intramuscular fat was less (P<0.01) in bulls than in steers, and tended (P=0.09) to be greater in VAR than in CTR animals. Oxidative stability tended (P=0.09) to be greater in meat from VAR than from CTR animals at 21 d of ageing. Vitamin A restriction in Holstein bulls does not achieve the same intramuscular fat levels obtained with castration.

High pressure and freezing temperature effect on quality and microbial inactivation of cured pork carpaccio.

The effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP: 0, 400, and 600 MPa) and freezing temperature (-15° vs. -35°C) were evaluated on the quality and microbial inactivation of cured pork carpaccio. Samples treated with HHP resulted in lighter and yellower color, higher Chroma, shear force, scores for pink color, cooked and gel appearance, incidence of iridescence, lower scores for brightness and raw meat appearance and lower levels of lactic acid bacteria and psychrotrophs during shelf life compared with untreated samples (P<0.05). Treating carpaccio at -35°C resulted in a darker color and a more tender carpaccio with a higher rating for crumbliness and lower rating for fibrousness and chewiness compared with -15°C (P<0.05). While HHP is effective in microbial inactivation and shelf life extension of pork carpaccio, product quality may be decreased due to lower tenderness and poorer appearance. However, HHP in combination with low freezing temperature can be used successfully to deliver high quality pork carpaccio with extended shelf life to the ready-to-eat market.

Carcass and meat quality characteristics and fatty acid composition of tissues from Pietrain-crossed barrows and gilts fed an elevated monounsaturated fat diet.

Fifty-one (Landrace *Large White) *Pietrain barrows and gilts were used to compare the effect of a diet rich in oleic acid (HO) by feeding a by-product of the olive industry (Greedy-Grass OLIVA(R): 1.4% growing, 3.8% finishing) or a grain and soy diet (CONTROL) on carcass characteristics, meat quality and fatty acid profile of intramuscular and subcutaneous fat. Gilts had leaner (P<0.05) carcasses with lower fat percentage in major primal cuts, and less (P<0.05) saturated fat compared with barrows with no interaction (P>0.05) between dietary treatment and gender. Source of dietary fat had no effect (P>0.05) on primal cut yields, composition of major primal cuts, or carcass and meat quality characteristics. Intramuscular fat from HO fed pigs had higher (P<0.05) percentage of saturated (SFA) and monounsaturated (MUFA) fatty acids, and lower (P<0.05) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and n-6:n-3 ratio compared with CONTROL animals (37.4% vs. 36.8%, 44.7% vs. 40.1%, 17.9% vs. 23.2%, and 18.9 vs. 21.8 ratio, respectively). Subcutaneous fat from pigs fed HO had greater (P<0.05) MUFA percentage, lower (P<0.05) SFA and PUFA percentage, and lower (P<0.05) n-6:n-3 ratio than pigs fed CONTROL diet (51.4% vs. 48.0%, 30.5% vs. 32.9%, 18.1% vs. 20.1%, and 9.83 vs. 11.3 ratio, respectively). Intramuscular fat had higher proportion of SFA and lower of MUFA showing a higher degree of tissue saturation compared with subcutaneous fat. Feeding Greedy-Grass increased MUFA and decreased PUFA proportions in fat depots reducing the risk of production of carcasses that are soft and oily which result in lower technological and processing quality.