Woodhead Publishing Improving the Sensory and Nutritional Quality of Fresh Meat: New Technologies (Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition)

Understanding of the scientific basis of quality attributes in meat is becoming more advanced, providing more effective approaches to the control of meat eating and technological quality. This important collection reviews essential knowledge of the mechanisms underlying quality characteristics and methods to improve meat sensory and nutritional quality. An introductory section analyses the scientific basis of meat quality attributes, such as texture, colour and flavour. The following part covers the important area of genetic and genomic influences on meat quality. Final chapters assess production and processing influences on meat quality, such as dietary antioxidants and carcass interventions. Key Features: reviews methods to improve meat sensory and nutritional quality considering the effects of different production practices such as chilling, freezing and packaging; analyses the scientific basis of meat quality attributes covering texture, tenderness, colour and water-holding capacity; examines production and processing strategies to optimise meat quality, including the current state of development and future potential. Contents: Part 1 Understanding meat quality: Trends in meat consumption and the need for fresh meat and meat products of improved quality: Biology and regulation of carcass composition; Fresh meat texture and tenderness; Meat colour; Flavour development in meat; Fresh meat water-holding capacity; The nutritional quality of meat; Sensory evaluation of fresh meat. Part 2 Improving the quality of fresh meat: genetic and genomic technologies: New insights into the biology of meat quality from genomic and proteomic perspectives with particular emphasis on beef; Genetic and genomic approaches to improving pork quality; Genetic and genomic approaches to improving sheep meat quality; Use of meat quality information in breeding programmes; Genetic based diagnostic tools for predicting meat quality. Part 3 Improving the quality of fresh meat: production strategies: Optimising the nutritional profile of beef; Optimising the nutritional and sensorial profile of pork; Using antioxidants and nutraceuticals as dietary supplements to improve the quality and shelf life of fresh meat; Organic meat quality; Improving the quality of meat from ratites; Improving the meat quality of venison and other exotic game. Part 4 Improving the quality of fresh meat: processing strategies: Automated grading of beef carcasses; Determining the lean content of pork carcasses; New methods for analysis of factors affecting meat eating quality; Chilling and freezing of meat and its effect on meat quality; Carcass interventions and meat tenderness; Sensory and quality properties of packaged meat; Characterizing muscle properties to develop muscle-specific intervention strategies and improve meat cuts for the consumer; Animal welfare and meat quality.