Meat from cattle raised on pasture is reported to be darker than meat from animals raised on concentrates if measured by objective (P < 0.001) as well as subjective (P < 0.05) methods. We have examined a total of 35 experiments which report the effect of pasture vs concentrate finishing systems on beef meat colour. The possible factors influencing the differences have been also examined. In this paper we have reviewed some differences in meat colour and flavour between ruminants fed concentrates and animals allowed to graze pasture. Grass feeding has been reported to affect several meat quality characteristics, in particular colour and flavour. Therefore the objective of this review is to present meat science research activities which have been carried at the University of Fort Hare over the last decade, how this can be used to shape the future meat science research agenda. Despite these successes, more research need to be done in meat distribution, processing, value chains, genetic manipulation, thermodynamics, the possibility and ethics of producing genetically engineered/cultured meats, meat production and consumption ethics. The meat science research work conducted over the last few years resulted in the recently awarded South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI) in Meat Science: Genomics to Nutriomics which is co-hosted by the University of Fort Hare in partnership with Stellenbosch University. The research activities have also resulted in significant human resource development and strengthened collaborations. In addition, excellent relationships between the meat industry, government departments/agencies, national and international research institutions, and the consumers have been developed. Interesting findings have been reported in the pain and pregnancy biomarkers research programme. Highlights on meat consumption patterns and wellness indicators are also presented. These studies have also included perceptions of consumers, farmers and meat traders on issues ranging from animal welfare, meat quality, meat labelling and traceability. Supplementing different livestock species with feeds of plant origin, such as Moringa oleifera and Acacia karroo leaves has resulted in significant improvement of meat quality, fatty acid composition and antioxidant activities. Major findings on the interaction between animal welfare and meat science have also been reported. Therefore quality attributes affected in such instances include meat colour, tenderness, cooking losses, water-holding capacity, fatty acid profiles as well as sensory evaluation. Research has also shown that the way in which an animal is raised affects how it grows and the quality of meat produced from the same animal thereon. This lecture will also demonstrate how a breed-based research programme, like the Nguni Cattle Project, has resulted in significant research outputs which can be applied for other species. This will include work on pre-slaughter, ante-mortem and post-mortem processes which have been studied under low-input animal production systems. In this lecture, recent work which has been done on meat production will be reviewed. In addition to biochemical and physiological processes which affect the changing of the muscle to meat, issues such as animal welfare, consumer rights and the legal environment now play a significant role in meat science. Development processes which occur from conception up to the time an animal is slaughtered, and post-mortem processes affect the quality of meat.
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