Prediction of meat quality

A huge amount of data from pork production chains is collected. One of the aims is to construct a mathematical model that predicts pork quality based on animal and slaughter information.

 

by Mette Christensen

 

Pork production systems are facing new challenges:

• Increasing social rejection of intensive production systems due to environmental and animal welfare problems
• European pig production is loosing competitiveness on the world market of meat
• Loss of diversity due to economic pressure
• Loss of systems adapted to local conditions

In Q-PorkChains existing systems are analysed and optimized to enhance their reactivity to market and societal demands. Increased diversifi cation and flexibility is anticipated to enable design of a variety of production systems better suited to the local conditions and the specific market segments.

 

Module II – scientific data

In Module II a comprehensive inventory of existing pork production systems and their

 

sustainability will be performed in 20 EU countries and 9 non-European countries. The inventories will be based on existing scientific tools to assess various dimensions of sustainability such as animal welfare and human working conditions, environmental impact,

economic sustainability, animal health and meat safety, meat quality, genetic resources and societal conformity. The

inventory of production systems will furthermore list existing quality assurance schemes and strategies.

 

Module IV – expert opinions

Simultaneously, in Module IV inventories on overview of the pork sector based on expert interviews and secondary data are performed in five EU countries (Spain, Hungary, Greece, Germany and the Netherlands) and two non-European countries (China and South Africa). These inventories will result in identifi cation of major bottlenecks and

opportunities. After the inventories have been performed, two or three typical chains will be selected per country for indepth study on diff erent subjects such as quality systems, information exchange, performance, organisation, innovation etc. One of the chains, the fresh meat chain, will be the same in each country. Spain has finalized the first phase of the inventory and two chains have been selected.

 

The complete overview

Module IV coordinator Dr. Jacques Trienekens, Wageningen University, explains how module II and IV are linked:

- The link between the diff erent inventories in Module II and IV will be made, when the results have been obtained. Module IV can then use the extensive description of pork production systems done by Module II, to look at how far these are covered by the Inventories of (farm-to-fork) supply chains in Module IV. If important gaps are found we will try to achieve more information about the supply chains.

 

Model to predict quality

Simultaneously, modelling of existing knowledge on animal welfare is being carried out in Module VI. On the basis of this information a database will be constructed. The aim is to produce a model that predicts technological and sensory pork quality, based on genetic background, production characteristics, animal treatment and slaughter technology.