Abstract
This review is aimed at providing an overview of recent advances made in the field of meat quality prediction, particularly in Europe. The different methods used in research labs or by the production sectors for the development of equations and tools based on different types of biological (genomic or phenotypic) or physical (spectroscopy) markers are discussed. Through the various examples, it appears that although biological markers have been identified, quality parameters go through a complex determinism process. This makes the development of generic molecular tests even more difficult. However, in recent years, progress in the development of predictive tools has benefited from technological breakthroughs in genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Concerning spectroscopy, the most significant progress was achieved using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to predict the composition and nutritional value of meats. However, predicting the functional properties of meats using this method—mainly, the sensorial quality—is more difficult. Finally, the example of the MSA (Meat Standards Australia) phenotypic model, which predicts the eating quality of beef based on a combination of upstream and downstream data, is described. Its benefit for the beef industry has been extensively demonstrated in Australia, and its generic performance has already been proven in several countries.
Highlights
The control of meat quality, especially sensory traits, remains an important issue for any farm animal production
Numerous technological innovations based on genomics or modeling approaches, or spectral or physical methods, have been described in this article to predict the specific intrinsic qualities of meat such as sensory, technological, or nutritional traits
Most of these approaches require additional work and methodological developments to be routinely applicable. Their ability to analyze a large number of samples at a reduced cost, as well as their ability to predict the desired quality criteria, are fundamental elements for attracting the interest of the stakeholders of the sector
Summary
The control of meat quality, especially sensory traits, remains an important issue for any farm animal production. It highlights the complex determinism of the biological characteristics of muscles and meat, which is most often driven by many factors related to genetics as well as animal husbandry and slaughter systems [2]. Under these conditions, having reliable indicators to predict meat quality is a major challenge for the meat industry.
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