Establishing the traceability of meat products has been a major focus of food science in recent decades. In this context, recent advances in food nutritional biomarker identification and improvements in statistical technology have allowed for more accurate identification and classification of food products. Moreover, artificial intelligence has now provided a new opportunity for optimizing existing methods to identify animal products. This study presents a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of different machine learning algorithms based on raw data from analyses of organoleptic, sensory and nutritional meat traits to differentiate categories of commercial lamb from an indigenous Spanish breed (Mallorquina breed) obtained from the following production systems: suckling lambs; light lambs from grazing; and light lambs from grazing supplemented with grain. Six machine learning algorithms were evaluated: Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Decision Tree, K-Nearest Neighbours (KNN), Naive Bayes, Multinomial Logistic Regression, and Support Vector Machine (SVM). For each algorithm, we tested three datasets, namely organoleptic traits and sensorial traits (CIELAB colour, water holding capacity, Warner-Bratzler shear force, volatile compounds and trained tasters), and nutritional traits (proximate composition and fatty acid profile). We also tested a combination of all three datasets. All the data were combined into a dataset with 144 variables resulting from the meat characterization, which included 11,232 event records. The ANN algorithm stood out for its high score with each of the three datasets used. In fact, we obtained an overall accuracy of 0.88, 0.83, and 0.88 for the organoleptic-sensory, nutritional, and combined datasets, respectively. The effectiveness of using the SVM algorithm to assign categories of lambs according to its production system performed better with nutritional traits and the full characterization, with performances equal to those obtained with ANN. The KNN algorithm showed the worst performance, with overall accuracies of 0.54 or lower for each of the datasets used. The results of this study demonstrate that machine learning is a useful tool for classifying commercial lamb carcasses. In fact, the ANN and SVM algorithms could be proposed as tools for differentiating categories of lamb production based on the organoleptic, sensory and nutritional characteristics of Mediterranean light lambs' meat. However, in order to improve the traceability methods of lamb meat production systems as a guarantee for consumers and to improve the learning processes used by these algorithms, more studies along these lines with other lamb breeds are required.

Advances in foodomics have demonstrated the feasibility of detecting specific molecules, known as 'foodomes', that can serve as biomarkers in fresh meat and dairy products to identify the origin of feeding foods. Identifying these biomarkers is crucial to establish traceability, as consumers demand products of guaranteed quality. In this work, after conducting an exhaustive review of the most relevant scientific documents from the last twenty years, we present a collection of as many as 76 and 66 lipidomes, 42 and 14 metabolomes, 53 and 61 volatile compounds and 8 and 4 isotope ratios (from fresh meat and dairy products, respectively) as potential biomarkers to determine feeding regime in farm ruminants (e.g. fresh herbage, conserved forage or concentrate). CLA9cis-11trans, stearoyl-CoA desaturase, toluene, skatole, and delta 13C and delta 15N have been widely cited in scientific research to determine the feeding system in ruminants. A combination of these biomarkers with mathematical techniques (discriminant analysis and machine learning) could be used to determine origin and quality in meat and dairy products from ruminants.

The Cundinamarca Department is located in the Colombian Andean region, and features a variety of bovine production systems dedicated to milk, beef or dual-purpose production in cold, warm and temperate climate areas, respectively. This paper analyses the sustainability of a sample of 35 farms (12 dual-purpose, 13 milk production and 10 beef production) located in some of its municipal areas using MESMIS methodology, which evaluated indicators related to social, environmental and economic factors of the systems during 1 year, grouping them by their productivity, adaptability, equity, self-management and resilience. For productivity, adaptability and equity, the dairy systems scored higher than dual-purpose and beef systems, whereas for the indicators of self-management, stability and resilience, the dairy systems scored lowest, while dual-purpose systems were the best. The indicators of economic sustainability increased in proportion to the intensification of the production system, availability of agricultural machinery and added value, resulting in the best scores being obtained by the dairy system and the worst by the beef system. For social sustainability indicators, the best score was obtained by dual-purpose systems, with dairy systems scoring the lowest, while dairy systems scored highest for environmental indicators. The results could be used to endorse public policies to promote the generation of sustainable agricultural systems.

In Mediterranean areas, lamb meat is considered to be of great commercial value. Moreover, consumers are becoming increasingly interested in understanding the origin of lamb meat and its associated production and breeding systems. Among many applications, algorithms based on artificial intelligence are used to identify the origin of food products, and in this context, algorithms such as the Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbours (KNN), and the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) have been proposed to differentiate the origin of the animals according to their feeding diet. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a variable reduction method based on a multiple regression model and three widely-used machine learning algorithms (SVM, KNN and ANN) for the classification of three commercial light lamb carcasses, from three feeding diets, in an indigenous Spanish breed (Mallorquina), using fatty acid and volatile compound biomarkers of meat. Machine learning algorithms were employed to discriminate lamb carcasses using 14 identified significant biomarkers, which were arranged based on an estimation of the relative importance (stepwise forward multiple regression F-score) of the input variables. We achieved high performances for the SVM, KNN and ANN algorithms, with 86%, 98% and 98% prediction accuracy, respectively. Among the 14 biomarkers used, 7 were identified as showing the highest discriminant capacity. The F-scores indicate that C17:1 and C20:5 n-3 fatty acids, and 2,5-dimethylpyrazine and 3-methylbutanal volatile compounds are the four most relevant biomarkers for predicting three lamb feeding diets.

La etiqueta de carne ecológica garantiza a los consumidores el cumplimiento de los requerimientos de producción ecológica, y genera en los consumidores unas percepciones positivas y unas expectativas favorables hacia estos alimentos pero en realidad, necesitan ser complementada con la experiencia sensorial, además de con el conocimiento sobre características de interés para el consumidor. El conocimiento sobre la calidad de la carne ecológica es escaso, y por ello se abordó el estudio del efecto de carne producida en dos sistemas de producción ecológica frente al sistema convencional sobre el perfil lipídico, la terneza en diferentes tiempos de maduración y la experiencia sensorial de la carne y el estudio de preferencias de los consumidores. La carne de producción ecológica a pasto, mostró mayor contenido en ácidos grasos poliinsaturados, y aunque inicialmente fue la menos tierna, tras 7 días de maduración, alcanzó el grado de terneza de la carne ecológica a pienso y de convencional. Sensorialmente, los consumidores valoraron mejor la carne ecológica a pastos por su color aunque una vez cocinada, la valoración de los atributos terneza y jugosidad, la perjudicaron en la valoración de preferencia global. El estudio de preferencia reveló la importancia del color y el origen de la carne, así como la importancia de la etiqueta de calidad, incluso con una disposición a pagar más por ella.

In order to contribute to our knowledge of the meat quality of local lamb breeds in Spain, we carried out a characterization of the Montesina lamb breed, including nutritional (proximal composition, fatty acid profile, mineral content) and organoleptic (color, water holding capacity, shear force and volatile compounds) traits. The lambs were distributed in the following three production systems: spring grazing (SP; n = 10); winter grazing supplemented with concentrate (WP + c; n = 10) and concentrate supplemented with forage (C; n = 10). A combined statistical analysis using ANOVA, principal components and discriminant analysis by steps allowed us to select biomarkers in Montesina lambs' meat to identify the production system. The lambs' meat SP showed the highest moisture content (73.32%) and the lowest fat (1.05%). The lowest redness and yellowness color indices were observed in C lamb's meat (6.76 and 10.08, respectively). A higher content of aldehydes, C18:3n-3 and C22:5 n-3 DPA was associated to SP and WP + c, while alcohols were associated to C lamb's diet. Alcohol and aldehyde compounds, in combination with C18:3n-3 and C22:5 n-3 DPA fatty acids, could be proposed as potential biomarkers to differentiate the three production systems and as a tool to monitor the traceability of lambs' meat from the Montesina breed.

The Utrerana chicken is an endangered egg-producing breed native to Spain with four feather varieties that display productive seasonality. To fill the gap in knowledge on the seasonal variation in egg quality, 378 eggs were collected during the entire first laying period, between March and August, from an experimental flock of hens of the Partridge variety of the Utrerana breed and subsequently analysed to assess the effect of the laying month on external and external egg quality traits. The eggs, with an average weight of 61.66 g and sharp shape (shape index: 70.77), had 31.64% yolk, 56.59% albumen, and 11.77% white-coloured shell 0.43 mm in thickness. The egg yolk was light orange in colour (Roche fan score: 10.56) with a yolk index of 37.78%, whereas the albumen was moderately firm (Haugh units: 69.12). The egg yield was seasonal and peaked in the second month of the laying period, with a hen-day egg production of 61.4%. Throughout the first laying period, egg weight and eggshell content remained invariable and yolk content increased, whereas its quality and colour intensity worsened, and albumen content and quality decreased as a consequence of aging and increasing ambient temperature. In conclusion, the Partridge variety of the Utrerana chicken breed can be considered suitable for alternative farming systems because it lays good-quality eggs at a moderate seasonal laying rate.

The aim of this document is to analyze the bovine production systems in the Department of Cundinamarca (Colombia) as an initial part of the strategic plan to implement sustainable and efficient technological proposals in this region of the Andes. Descriptive and productive agricultural data related to bovine production of the 116 municipalities were analyzed using a multivariate analysis method (principal component, cluster and variance analysis). The information contained quantitative variables regarding three topics: general information (geographical, cadastral and productive), a municipal bovine inventory, and productive information about the cattle farms. The analysis enabled us to generate three clusters of bovine production systems as follows: Cluster 1, representative of the dual-purpose activity, made up of 48 medium-climate municipalities, of which 64.6% of the municipal farms correspond to dual-purpose production with an average farm size of 5.2 ha, a carrying capacity of 1.2 UGM/ha and milk production per cow of 7.75 L/d; Cluster 2, made up of 36 cold-climate municipalities dedicated mainly to dairy production on farms (65.9%) of approximately 3.8 ha, with a carrying capacity of 2.3 UGM/ha and milk production per cow of 14.34 L/d.; and Cluster 3, made up of 32 warm-climate municipalities dedicated mainly to beef production on farms. In this cluster, 66.6% of the farms correspond to beef production of approximately 8.5 ha, with a carrying capacity of 1.2 UGM/ha and milk production of 6.35 L/d. Colombia’s climatic diversity and the wide range of bovine livestock activities are among the main strengths that make up the system’s advantages. However, the low technological development in the majority of the bovine livestock farms, which is related to variables such as low carrying capacity, as in Clusters 1 and 3 and with the low employment generated by bovine production in Colombia, are opportunities to improve the livestock industry. It is advisable to continue working to obtain data on important aspects of the system such as technology, nutrition, reproductive management (including artificial insemination), the economy and environmental and social aspects, in order to delve deeper into the sustainability of productive systems.

The goat meat preferred by consumers in Spain comes from suckling goat kids, slaughtered at a live weight of 8-10 kg. However, consumption of this meat is very uncommon, so it is necessary to show its value. To achieve this, we planned to investigate consumers' perceptions about goat kid meat and to study whether their perceptions are related to their sensory appraisal of the meat, measured by the mean of the consumers' home tests. The experiment was conducted with 30 volunteer families (from two cities with different consumption patterns), who were surveyed regarding their sociodemographic parameters, purchasing and eating habits, and the importance of the meat's attributes. As a result, four clusters were obtained, which were labeled "negative," "idealistic," "positive," and "concerned about fat content". The parameters of the animal production system were valued differently by the clusters. Meat tenderness, taste, and amount of fat were considered very decisive factors by most respondents. When the goat kid meat was valued, tenderness was considered more important than taste among older people ("negative" cluster), whereas there was not so much difference between the appraisal of all parameters for the other three clusters. We conclude that it is necessary to improve the information received by consumers about goat production systems and meat quality parameters. There is certainly potential for creating new markets, especially targeted toward young consumers and considering specific strategies for the different groups of consumers, depending on the region and habits of consumption.

Dietary lipid sources influence intramuscular fatty acid composition, which in turn may affect the volatile profile of meat. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of marine algae supplementation (Aurantiochytrium limacinum) on volatile compounds of cooked lamb meat. Forty-eight lambs with 42 days of age were divided into three groups: lambs fed a conventional diet without algae meal supplementation (NOALG), lambs with competent reticular groove reflex (RGR) fed the same diet supplemented with 2.5% marine algae meal mixed in the concentrate (ALGCON), and lambs with competent RGR, receiving the same diet and fed with 2.5% marine algae meal in a milk replacer to bypass the rumen (ALGMILK). Lipid and protein oxidation in raw meat was assessed and volatile compounds in grilled meat were determined. The highest and lowest lipid oxidations were observed in the ALGMILK and NOALG groups, respectively. Protein oxidation was unaffected. Out of 56 identified compounds, 12 volatiles significantly increased in both algae groups and 6 of them exclusively in the ALGCON treatment. Algae meal supplementation and its form of administration, either protected or not from rumen degradation, are important factors to consider in lipid oxidation and the aromatic profile of lamb meat.

Our aim was to characterize the organoleptic and nutritional properties of meat from suckling (one-month-old) and light (around three-months-old) lambs in local breeds on the Spanish Mediterranean islands, using meat from male lambs of the Mallorquina and Roja Mallorquina breeds. The lambs were kept with their mother at all times under an extensive management system and fed on mother's milk until naturally weaned. In the Mallorquina breed, suckling lambs (n = 20) were slaughtered after weaning and the light lambs were bred using natural pasture (n = 20) or concentrate (n = 20), and the Roja Mallorquina light lambs were fed pasture and concentrate (n = 20). The pH, colour, texture, water-holding capacity, fatty acids, volatile compounds and sensorial attributes of the meat were analyzed. No differences in meat colour or texture were observed. The highest levels of non-desirable fatty acids were observed in lambs raised using concentrate. Light lambs showed a higher aldehydes content than suckling lambs. High notes of lactic acid and milk flavour were detected. Regardless of access to pasture or concentrate, continued access to mother's milk during rearing influences the sensorial meat traits of these lambs, so we consider this type of management an optimal way of obtaining the traditional 'Mediterranean lamb meat'.

We conducted the first nutritional analysis of dairy products from the traditional Roja Mallorquina sheep breed. Samples of bulk raw milk were taken twice a month from December 2015 to March 2016 from sheep fed using a part-time grazing system, and fresh soft (FC, n = 8) and ripened (RC, n = 8) cheeses were made. The variability in vitamins, total phenolic compounds (TPC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and fatty acid (FA) content was influenced by the cheese-making process (differences between the cheese and the original milk) and by the type of cheese-making technology (mainly related to heating, the use of starter culture, and ripening). The most notable physicochemical characteristic of the cheeses was low fat content (24.1 and 29.6 g/100 g for FC and RC). Milk and RC were characterised by major concentrations of retinol (211.4 and 233.6 μg/100 g dry matter (DM), respectively) and TPC (18.7 and 54.6 μg/100 g DM, respectively), while FC was characterised by major concentrations of retinol (376.4 μg) and α-tocopherol (361.7 μg). The fat-soluble components of the FC generally exhibited better nutritional value for human health than those of the milk and RC, with a higher level of retinol and α-tocopherol; lower values for saturated FA, atherogenic, and thrombogenic indices; and higher levels of monounsaturated FA, polyunsaturated FA, n-3, and n-6. Acids, alcohols, and ketones comprised almost 95% of the volatile compounds detected. Acetoin and products of lactose and citrate metabolism played an important role in the development of the aromatic attributes of both kinds of cheese. This preliminary study can contribute to add value to these traditional products according to healthy nutritional criteria and supports the implementation of strategies to promote their commercialisation and obtain product labelling as "pasture-fed" or specific marks.

The objectives of this study were to develop ultrasound-derived prediction equations in young bulls before slaughter to estimate carcass traits and beef sensory parameters and to determine the optimum moment pre-slaughter to estimate the sensory quality of beef from young bulls. Ultrasound images were measured in twenty live young bulls at 50, 25 and 1 days prior to slaughter. Intramuscular fat content, longissimus lumborum muscle area, carcass fatness, texture and sensory analysis were measured by a trained panel after slaughter. Partial least square methodology was used to find the relationship between the ultrasound measurements and the dependent variables, such as carcass traits, Warner-Bratzler shear force and the sensory profile. Additionally, a stepwise procedure was used to select the most informative ultrasound variables in the prediction equations for carcass and beef sensory traits. The results indicate that ultrasound testing in the feedlot offers promising potential. Early ultrasound scan measurements were useful during fattening to predict intramuscular fat content (R2 = 0.619, RMSE = 0.44%, 50 days prior to slaughter), while ultrasound scans taken close to slaughter were useful to predict kidney fat content (R2 = 0.717, RMSE = 0.96%, 1 day prior to slaughter). However, the prediction of sensory beef attributes was only useful for fatty flavor (R2 = 0.556, RMSE = 0.47%) at 1 day pre-slaughter. Thus, the prediction of fat parameters using ultrasound measurements could constitute a valuable tool in the process of selecting beef quality traits in young bulls before slaughter.

The quality of meat and dairy products can be evaluated from the perspective of the farmer seeking high yields and profits or the consumer for whom sensory characteristics are the most important, although health and ethical aspects, such as animal welfare and the environmental impact of the production system, are increasingly becoming concerns worldwide [...].

There is growing interest in increasing omega-3 fatty acid (FA) contents in ruminant meat by means of dietary manipulation, but the effects of such manipulation on productive results and meat quality need to be ascertained. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of supplementing lambs with competent reticular groove reflex (RGR) with marine algae as a source of omega-3 fatty acids on growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality characteristics. Forty-eight feedlot lambs were distributed into three equal groups: the control group neither consumed marine algae nor had competent RGR, the second group received daily 2.5% of algae meal mixed in the concentrate, and the last group consumed the same amount of algae meal, but emulsified in a milk replacer and bottle-fed. Lambs in the second and third groups had competent RGR. There were not any negative effects on performance, carcass or meat quality parameters with algae supplementation. However, the results of the oxidative stability parameters were not conclusive. Ageing for 6 days improved meat tenderness and color, and increased lipid oxidation. In conclusion, algae meal inclusion in the diet of fattening lambs with competent RGR has no detrimental effects on animal performance, carcass traits or meat quality characteristics.

We analysed how replacing cereal concentrates with dehydrated orange pulp (DOP) in the diet of mother goats affects the meat quality of suckling kids. Three experimental diets for mother goats were designed. The DOP-0 diet contained commercial concentrates and alfalfa hay. In the DOP-40 and DOP-80 diets, 40% and 80% (respectively) of the cereal in the concentrate was replaced with pellets of DOP (the alfalfa hay component was unchanged). We evaluated the chemical composition, texture, water holding capacity, colour, fatty acids (FAs) profile, volatile compounds, and sensorial appraisal of the meat from 30 male suckling kids (cold carcass weight 4.74 kg, 4.82 kg, and 4.65 kg for DOP-0, DOP-40, and DOP-80, respectively) of the Payoya breed (n = 10 for each diet). Meat from kids in the DOP-40 and DOP-80 groups exhibited characteristics favourable for human health, including the meat's thrombogenicity index, PUFA/SFA ratio (0.60 index), and n-6 PUFA/n-3 PUFA ratio (approximately 7.50). The meat also exhibited reduced MUFA content (around 460 mg/100 g fresh meat). An increase in ethyl furan, dimethyl disulphide and heptane was observed in grilled meat from goats that were fed using DOP. The inclusion of DOP in goat feed improved consumers' sensory appreciation of the kid's meat.

A portable near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) instrument was evaluated for the discrimination of individual Iberian pig carcasses into the four official quality categories (defined by a combination of genotype and feeding regime). Spectra were obtained scanning four anatomical locations (live animal skin, carcass surface, fresh meat and subcutaneous fat samples) at a commercial abattoir, using a handheld micro electro mechanical system instrument. The best assignments into official quality categories with the NIRS measurements in the carcass surface and subcutaneous fat were able to correctly classify 75.9% and 73.8% of the carcasses, respectively. Moreover, 93.2% and 93.4% of carcasses were correctly classified according to feeding regimes by using the spectra from fresh meat and subcutaneous fat samples. The results suggest that, using subcutaneous fat samples, a portable NIRS could be used in commercial abattoirs as a tool to support the control of official quality category assignment in Iberian pig carcasses.

The primary aim of this paper is to determine the influence of two organic production systems, organic grass-fed (OG) and organic concentrate-fed (OC), vs. a conventional concentrate-fed (CC) system; the second aim is to determine the influence of the ageing period on the physical parameters and texture properties of beef from the Retinta breed. Muscle samples from Longissimus thoracis were stored at 2–4 ± 1 °C for 0, 7, 14, and 21 days for the purposes of ageing. Analyses of pH, water losses (drip loss and cooking loss), Warner-Bratzler shear force, texture profile analysis (TPA), and histological analysis of muscle fibre were carried out. The results revealed that organic meat experienced lower drip loss and higher cooking loss than conventional meat. Although the meat of organic grass-fed animals was tougher initially, it showed a higher tenderisation speed in the first ageing days than OC and CC meats. The sarcomere length increased during the ageing period, which showed a negative correlation to shear force. According to its texture characteristics, the Retinta meat produced in organic systems could be recommended by its quality.

Although dried orange pulp (DOP) may conveniently replace cereals in ruminant diets, few studies have considered similar diet substitution for goats. We hypothesised that DOP could replace cereal-based concentrate in goat diets without detrimental effects on growth performance and carcass quality of suckling kids and milk performance and blood biochemical parameters of dams in early lactation. We also hypothesised that DOP substitution may increase the levels of antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds and vitamin E, in milk and improve its total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Therefore, 44 primiparous Payoya dairy goats were allocated to three experimental groups, each fed a different diet: control (CD, n = 14) based on a commercial concentrate with alfalfa hay as forage; and DOP40 (n = 16) in which 40% and DOP80 (n = 14) in which 80% of the cereal in the concentrate were replaced by DOP. The experiment lasted from the final month of pregnancy to 55 days postpartum. The DOP diets did not affect suckling kids' carcass quality, but at 28 days, led to improvement in live weight (LW) and average daily gain (ADG) from birth, although no differences were found between DOP40 and DOP80 (for CD, DOP40 and DOP80, LW at 28 days was 8.00, 8.58 and 8.34 kg and ADG was 184, 199 and 195 g/day, respectively). Diet had no significant effect on milk yield (average daily milk yield and total yield at 55 days were 1.66 l/day and 90.6 l, respectively) and commercial and fatty acid composition. Nevertheless, α-tocopherol, total phenolic compound (TPC) and TAC concentration in milk increased with substitution of cereals by DOP (for CD, DOP40 and DOP80, concentration of α-tocopherol was 21.7, 32.8 and 42.3 μg/100 g, TPCs was 63.5, 84.1 and 102 mg gallic acid equivalents/l, and TAC was 6.63, 11.1 and 12.8 μmol Trolox equivalents/ml, respectively). Every plasma biochemistry parameter considered was within reference values for healthy goats; therefore, no pathological effect was detected for these variables due to dietary treatment. However, DOP diets caused a reduction in plasmatic creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase, implying reduced oxidative damage to muscles. In conclusion, DOP may be an interesting alternative to cereals in early lactation goat diets for increasing farmers' income and the healthy antioxidant capacity of milk.

In order to study the effect of different amounts of concentrate feed and the effectiveness of natural antioxidants on the fatty acid stability of intramuscular fat during the first days postmortem, 75 young bulls of the Retinta breed were divided in three groups: 30 were grazed, 30 were fed on medium concentrate diets, and 15 were fed on high-concentrate diets. Young bulls were slaughtered at commercial weight, around a 500 kg final body weight. Samples from Longissimus lumborum muscle were assigned to two ageing periods (0 and 7 d) and were vacuum packaged in vacuum bags (O-2 permeability: 9.3 mL O-2/m(2) per 24 h at 0 degrees C) using an EGARVAC (R) sealer. Beef from grass-fed bulls showed a higher polyunsaturated fatty acid content than concentrate-fed bulls. During the first 7 d postmortem, no changes in the fatty acids profile were observed, because alpha-tocopherol content was optimal to prevent lipid oxidation. The higher level of natural antioxidants in grass than in grain resulted in the stability of the fatty acid profile. This study shows that the anti-oxidative potential of natural antioxidants in meat plays an important role during the first 7 d postmortem.