A new project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme is about to start. The preparations for this project, called mEATquality are nearly ready and the project will run for 4 years.

This project want to provide consumers with better quality pork and broiler meat and the animals with a high level of welfare, by developing scientific knowledge and practical solutions with farmers and chain partners. Additional aims are a reduction of environmental concerns and improvement of economic sustainability of the chain.

The project’s meat quality scientists will develop innovative techniques for automated quality assessment at high line speeds. They will also support the fight against food fraud through blockchain technology and the authentication of the final product via ‘fingerprinting techniques’. 

Consumer requirements for quality are leading, and mEATquality will determine consumer preferences for meat quality aspects related to husbandry practices and taste, e.g. through in depth questionnaires, taste panels and market acceptance studies. 

Finally, the project will develop practical information on new husbandry approaches through a ‘sustainability app’ for pig and broiler farmers. It will also build a template for a European Meat Database to help combat food fraud.

mEATquality is coordinated by Wageningen Research (The Netherlands) and will be carried out by a consortium of 17 partners organisations representing 7 EU countries. This consortium consists of 7 academic partners, 5 scientific research centres, 2 industry partners and 3 organisations that represent the organic or conventional meat chains. Together they will bridge the gap between different stakeholders in the agri-food system: pig and broiler farmers, slaughterhouses, meat processors and retailers.

More information about the project will come soon.

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