Module VI - Knowledge synthesis

Module coordinator

Dr. Karel de Greef

Animal Sciences Group of Wageningen UR

PO Box 65

8200 AB Lelystad

The Netherlands

Telephone: +31 320 238 258

Email:

Web: www.wur.nl 

There is ample scientific information on effects of production systems on pigs and pork. Increasingly, however, it is getting more complicated to oversee causes and effects, even for well involved individuals.

At first, this is caused by the overwhelming amount of knowledge that is and comes available. But also the increasing specialisation of disciplines makes it more difficult to understand (let apart predict) consequences of choices. Finally, the audience that demonstrates an interest in these quality aspects is widening. Not only those involved in producing pork have an information need.

Also consumers and concerned citizens raise questions. Assessable media such as web based ‘what happens if…’ models can facilitate the communication between the pork industry and its political and social environment.

Modelling has proven to be an efficient tool to integrate information into accessible and usable formats. 

Meat Quality: Meat quality is the result of complex processes during the life of the animal (muscle) and after slaughter (meat). Existing literature and datasets will be used to integrate the various effect on technological and sensory pork quality into a quantitative prediction model.

Meat Safety: A quantitative risk characterisation model will be built that identifies the principle sources of microbial contamination in pork. The studies will focus on two pork pathogens: Salmonella spp and Yersinia enterocolitica. It is aimed that the impact of current and future technologies can be evaluated.

Animal Welfare: Animal welfare is not only related to the animals involved, but is also a concept that matters for farmers, citizens and consumers. Four simple modules will be built that represent these four interest groups. These modules will then be integrated into a model that demonstrates effects of choices in the production system for all four welfare dimensions.

The knowledge integration methods (or modelling techniques) will be quite different for the three themes. Choices in this will be made on basis of exploring investigations in the first project year.