This study assessed the seasonal availability and nutrient profiles of pig feedstuffs present on small-scale farms in the Cape Metropole, South Africa. Eighty-two feedstuffs (54 in winter and 28 in summer) were collected from 50 small-scale urban pig farms in five low-income, high-density suburbs in the Cape Metropole. There was an association between season and feed category, with fruit wastes and bakery wastes (contributing 36% and 19% of total feed samples, respectively) being the most abundant feedstuffs in summer and winter, respectively. Fruit and vegetable wastes had the lowest dry matter (<25%) and highest crude fibre (>10%) concentrations, regardless of the season. Soybean and milk mix, spinach, and Russian sausage waste had the highest crude protein (31%–48%) and amino acid concentrations in summer. In winter, soybean and fish meal mix, dry commercial feed, and ice cream and cheese mix were the predominant sources of crude protein (31%–35%) and amino acids. Irrespective of season, kitchen wastes containing meat and dairy by-products and bakery wastes containing legume seeds had the highest ether extract (16%–34%) and gross energy (20–24 MJ/kg) values. Spinach and wheat by-products were the richest sources of minerals in summer and winter, respectively. Small-scale farmers in the surveyed areas could use legume grains and vegetable, meat, and dairy wastes as sources of protein, amino acids, and minerals, while kitchen wastes containing meat or dairy by-products and bakery wastes containing legume seeds could be used as energy feedstuffs to formulate customised, cost-optimised, and balanced homemade diets for pigs. (Submitted 11 September 2025; Accepted 07 December 2025; Published 05 February 2026)

Pre-slaughter practices, pork physicochemical quality, and fatty acid (FA) composition of 36 Landrace barrows aged six months, sourced from five smallholder urban farms (SUFs) in low-income, high-density suburbs and one commercial abattoir in Cape Metropole District, South Africa were evaluated. Pigs on SUFs were fed three diets: (1) kitchen-bakery-vegetable waste-based, (2) bakery-dairy waste-based, or (3) homemade grain-based, while those on a large-scale farm were fed a commercial diet. Pigs on SUFs were either stunned mechanically or not stunned before slaughter. The SUFs either practiced throat or cervical spine sticking during slaughter. Carcasses from pigs fed the homemade grain-based diet had higher (P ≤ 0.05) weights, ash subcutaneous and intramuscular fat (IMF) values than those fed the other diets. The homemade grain-based diet, throat sticking treatment produced pork with the highest pH45 followed by the bakery-dairy waste-based diet, throat sticking and kitchen-bakery-vegetable waste-based diet, cervical spine treatments (P ≤ 0.05). Pigs fed a commercial diet and slaughtered by throat sticking produced pork with the lower (P ≤ 0.05) values for pH24, colour coordinates (L*, a*, b*, H° and C°) and the higher (P ≤ 0.05) carcass temperature and shear force values relative to the other treatments. Pork from pigs fed the homemade grain-based diets had higher (P ≤ 0.05) contents of total FA, total PUFA, individual and total n-6 PUFA than pork from pigs fed the other diets. Pig carcasses stunned with a gun had higher (P ≤ 0.05) pH45, pH24 and shear force values than those not stunned. The homemade grain-based diet improved carcass attributes and fatty acid profiles of pigs raised and slaughtered on SUFs, stunning enhanced pork physical quality attributes while the kitchen-bakery-vegetable waste-based diet, cervical spine sticking treatment produced less desirable pork physical attributes.

Essential oils are aromatic volatile compounds used in ruminant diets to replace ionophores, specifically for their antimicrobial and antioxidative properties. This study investigated the effects of substituting monensin in lamb finisher diets with a blend of essential oils containing citral and linalool on meat physicochemical properties, shelf-display stability and fatty acid composition. Forty-eight Merino wether lambs (30.15 +/- 2.43 kg) were randomly allocated to one of 3 treatment groups: (1) control (no supplement), (2) Monensin (20 ppm or 0.021 g/ lamb/ day), and (3) a blend of essential oil compounds containing citral and linalool (1 g/ lamb/ day) and slaughtered after 42 days in the feedlot. Post chilling (24 hours post-slaughter), the entire left LTL was collected for meat analyses. The addition of an essential oil compound and monensin both gave better colour stability results (higher redness and lower hue angle) over an extended shelf period than control samples. A tendency towards lower total fatty acid content, monounsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acids was found for essential oil and monensin treatments, which was not expected. More research is required to determine the precise mechanism of action of the specific essential oils and establish optimal (probably higher) level of application in the diet.

Essential oils are aromatic volatile compounds used in ruminant diets to replace ionophores, specifically for their antimicrobial and antioxidative properties. This study investigated the effects of substituting monensin in lamb finisher diets with a blend of essential oils containing citral and linalool on meat physicochemical properties, shelf-display stability and fatty acid composition. Forty-eight Merino wether lambs (30.15 ± 2.43kg) were randomly allocated to one of 3 treatment groups: (1) control (no supplement), (2) Monensin (20 ppm or 0.021g/ lamb/ day), and (3) a blend of essential oil compounds containing citral and linalool (1g/ lamb/ day) and slaughtered after 42 days in the feedlot. Post chilling (24hours post-slaughter), the entire left LTL was collected for meat analyses. The addition of an essential oil compound and monensin both gave better colour stability results (higher redness and lower hue angle) over an extended shelf period than control samples. A tendency towards lower total fatty acid content, mono-unsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acids was found for essential oil and monensin treatments, which was not expected. More research is required to determine the precise mechanism of action of the specific essential oils and establish optimal (probably higher) level of application in the diet.

Understanding the drivers of farmers’ challenges and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) is crucial for the sustainable development of the small-scale urban pig enterprise in sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 160 structured questionnaires were individually administered to determine factors driving small-scale farmers’ challenges and adoption of SAPs in the Cape Metropole District, South Africa. Key challenges reported by the farmers were piglet mortality (88

Consumers tend to buy meat based on visual physical characteristics, which are affected by the chemical composition of the meat, and there is very little known about the chemical composition of the meat of giraffe. This study therefore aims to broaden the knowledge base on the chemical composition of giraffe meat, rib bone and liver. Eight different muscles from 15 giraffes were analyzed to determine the chemical composition, yielding an average moisture of 77.2 ± 0.09 g/100 g meat, an average protein of 20.8 ± 0.09 g/100 g meat, an average intramuscular fat (IMF) of 1.4 ± 0.03 g/100 g meat and an average ash of 1.1 ± 0.01 g/100 g meat. There was a significant interaction between sex and muscle for the moisture, protein and ash contents, while only muscle had an effect on the fat content. The mineral content of the bone, liver and Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle was also analyzed, and bone was found to be a rich source of calcium (highest concentration), whilst the liver had the highest concentration of iron. The chemical composition of the giraffe meat was such that it could be classified as lean meat.

Plant oil supplements have been used in ruminant feedlot diets as alternative high-density energy source.However, feeding ruminants with high levels of oil may adversely affect the rumen microbiome and function, negatively impacting performance and production. Plant oils high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) may also affect animal products quality when PUFA escape or partially escape biohydrogenation. This study investigated the effects of a low inclusion level (1.62%) of a plant oil (commercial sunflower-soybean blend) on the physicochemical attributes, fatty acid profile, and shelf-display stability of longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle of lambs fed high-energy starch-based diets. In addition, either a natural or synthetic antioxidant were included in the plant oil containing diets to evaluate their effects on maintenance of shelf-display stability with or without natural or synthetic antioxidants. Forty [n=40; average weight (± standard error of mean) 28 (± 0.836 kg)] were blocked by weight and randomly allocated to 4 dietary treatment groups [(1) control (Grain); (2) grain plus plant oil only (Oil); (3) grain plus plant oil with synthetic antioxidant (OilCaps); and (4) grain plus plant oil with natural antioxidant (OilNat)]. Feeding lambs with grain-based diets supplemented with plant oil, with or without natural or synthetic antioxidants, had no effects on meat physicochemical attributes (P>0.050) or color stability over 7 d of shelf display (P>0.050). Regardless of antioxidant inclusion, oil supplementation increased conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) composition in lamb longissimus muscle (P=0.028). Overall, results from this study suggest that grain-based feedlot diets supplemented with low inclusion levels of plant oil did not significantly affect shelf stability of lamb meat during display while both oil supplement and antioxidants increased the CLA content of longissimus muscle.

Small-scale urban pig farming (SUPF) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) contributes to food, nutrition, income and social security of indigent urbanites but is associated with animal, human and environmental health risks. In this context, it is critical to identify key strategies to optimize the benefits and minimize the risks of SUPF in SSA. The current review identifies a set of existing management practices that synchronously enhance sustainability and circularity of SUPF and explore factors influencing the capacity of farmers to adopt such practices. The review demonstrates that there is a multitude of opportunities for enhancing the sustainability and circularity of SUPF in SSA through application of sustainable and circular economy practices (SCEPs) in housing, feeding, breeding, health, marketing and waste management. However, these opportunities can only be fully realized if appropriate urban planning, by-laws, and policies are implemented, and socio-economic, psychological and institutional factors, private-public partnerships and international corporations that promote widespread application of SCEPs are holistically integrated into decision-making processes of the relevant stakeholders. Research should continuously focus on identifying SCEPs adopted by farmers and incorporating their adoption predictors in decision-making. This has the potential to transition SUPF in SSA towards a more sustainable and circular food system.

In Africa, offal is a cheap source of protein and is regularly consumed. The yields and proximate analyses of 15 giraffe (eight male, seven female) were evaluated. The only significant differences of offal weights between sexes were for the head with tongue (P = 0.011), feet (P = 0.006), and kidneys (P = 0.045), with each being heavier for males than females. However, as a percentage of the total dead weight, there were no significant differences between sexes. The study also looked at the proximate composition of the heart, liver, kidneys, and tongue. The moisture % averaged similar to 76%, protein % averaged similar to 17%, total fat % averaged similar to 5% and the ash % averaged similar to 1% for all organs across both sexes. While sex only had an effect on the ash content (P = 0.038), organ type had an effect on all parameters (P < 0.001). Red offal had a favourably high protein content as well as a low fat content, which, when combined with the high yields thereof per animal, indicates that giraffe offal can serve as a source of low-cost protein.

South Africa's rapid urbanization and high unemployment rates pushed people into street food vending as an alternative source of livelihood. Hygiene and food safety have become a concern under these circumstances owing to foodborne illnesses and associated deaths. A survey tool with 38 structured questions was administered to 172 to assess pork vendors' hygiene and safety practices and identify their determinants in five low-income high-density suburbs of the Cape Metropole District, South Africa. Overall, vendors washed their hands before and after handling meat (66% of respondents) and cleaned the working area daily (51%), pork storage area daily (60%), and utensils and equipment before and after use (36%) with most of them using detergents as the main cleaning agent (70%). A quarter of the interviewed vendors experienced meat spoilage during storage, and 80% had no training in hygiene and safe food handling. The marginal effects of logistic regression findings showed that vending income increased the vendor's probability to wash hands, and clean vending stalls, storage areas, utensils, and equipment. The likelihood of vendors cleaning pork storage areas, utensils, and equipment increased with the increase in female participants. The likelihood of hand washing and vending stall cleaning increased by 1% for each extra year of schooling. Strategies aimed at improving meat hygiene and safety practices of vendors in the surveyed areas should target vulnerable groups, especially less educated females depending solely on vending income.

The current study evaluated the factors influencing the purchasing behaviour and pork quality preferences of 211 consumers in the Cape Metropole District, South Africa. Two-thirds of the participants bought cooked pork from the informal street markets because of affordability (36%), convenience (34%), and price (41%). Most consumers preferred grilled (87%), well done (68%) and bone-in (57%) meat of moderate lean thickness (48%). Cut type (33% of consumers) and taste (52%) were the most important pork quality indicators. Prior to purchasing pork, 70% of consumers performed a safety assessment, mostly based on pork appearance (40%). Two-thirds of consumers indicated their willingness to pay more for safe pork. Marginal effects from logistic regression showed that the likelihood of consumers to assess pork safety was positively influenced (P <= 0.05) by gender and education level, while the source of income, income class, and education level positively influenced (P <= 0.05) consumers' willingness to pay more for safe pork. Findings suggest that policy and development interventions by the government and municipalities to match quality attributes of pork to the preferences of consumers in the informal urban street markets should target specific sub-groups of the population, particularly females, low-income earners and the less educated.

Biltong is a traditional South African meat snack consisting of strips of salted, flavored, and dried lean meat. It is a product characterized by a moisture content of 15–50% and a water activity between 0.6 and 0.85. The tender cuts from relatively young and lean beef carcasses are preferred for making biltong. Although biltong originated as a food staple protein source of the pioneers on their expeditions into Southern Africa in the earlier days, it has evolved to a market-driven premium snack through innovative upmarketing and subjection to modern processing and packaging technology.

One hundred and twelve cross- and purebred pasture-reared lambs were slaughtered at optimal backfat thickness (4 mm). Selected slaughter, carcass, and meat quality characteristics of these animals were assessed. Slaughter age, but not weight, was influenced by genotype, whereas rams were younger and heavier at slaughter than ewes. Throughout, the crossbred genotypes were younger at slaughter than their purebred contemporaries. Merinos had a lower dressing percentage (40.74%) than Dohne Merinos (43.89%), which in turn dressed out substantially lower than all crossbred combinations (~47%). Genotype did not influence the fat or bone percentage in the carcass, but differences existed for the meat percentage. Meat from all groups could be described as very tender (<32.96 N) and acceptable even to consumers not preferring pasture-produced lamb. The reduced slaughter age of crossbred lambs presents the possibility of shortening the production cycle of lamb while simultaneously increasing carcass yields.

Pork in the informal market significantly contributes to food, nutrition and income security in low-income countries' urban areas but is a safety concern to value chain actors and public authorities due to potential contamination by pathogens. To evaluate the physicochemical quality, microbial and oxidative profiles of pork sold from the informal urban street market, 50 samples were collected from 40 street vendors and 10 super-markets in five different low-income, high-density suburbs in the Cape Metropole District, South Africa. Results showed no differences (P > 0.05) in pH, colour, proximate attributes (except for lipid content), antioxidant activity, lipid oxidation, and Escherichia coli counts in pork collected from the formal and informal markets, and open-air and enclosed market stalls. Lipid content, Enterobacteriaceae, and total bacterial counts of pork collected from the informal market were higher (P & LE; 0.05) than those from the formal market. Positive cases of Listeria monocytogenes (6-8%) and Salmonella spp. (4%) were reported for pork sampled in the informal market, espe-cially in open-air stalls. It was concluded that higher levels of microbial contamination in the informal market, particularly in open-air stalls compared to the formal market require constant monitoring, provision of appro-priate market infrastructure, and hygiene behaviour change of vendors to ensure pork safety.

Five diets containing Acacia mearnsii leaf-meal (AMLM; 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 g/kg DM) substituted for Tri-ticum aestivum bran were fed to lambs for 42 days. The effect of diet and retail display period on meat fatty acid (FA) composition (day 1); colour, antioxidant activity, myoglobin and lipid oxidation (day 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9); protein oxidation (1, 3 and 7 d) and instrumental tenderness (day 1, 5 and 10) were evaluated. Dietary AMLM linearly decreased (P <= 0.05) individual (14:0, 16:0, 18:0) and total saturated FA and increased (P <= 0.05) trans (t)-monounsaturated FA (MUFA) mainly t10/t11-18:1, individual and total conjugated linoleic acids, n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) contents. The contents of cis(c)-MUFA, mainly c9-18:1, exhibited a quadratic response reaching a minimum at 50 g/kg AMLM (P <= 0.05). Meat antioxidant on day 9 was higher (P <= 0.05) for diets containing >= 100 g/kg DM AMLM compared to the other diet x retail display period interactions. Relative to the other interactions, meat redness values were lowest on day 7 and 9 for AMLM diets containing >= 150 g/kg DM (P <= 0.05). Dietary addition of AMLM increased (P <= 0.05) meat lightness and oxymyoglobin, and reduced (P <= 0.05) TBARS and instrumental tenderness values. However, oxymyoglobin values declined (P <= 0.05) over the retail display period, while lightness, metmyoglobin, TBARS and carbonyls increased (P <= 0.05). Results indicate that AMLM up to 200 g/kg DM in lamb finisher diets, improves meat fatty acid composition, tenderness, and lipid shelf-life.

In this study a survey of various meat quality characteristics of beef loin cuts was conducted in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (Gauteng Province of South Africa) to determine the variation and consis-tency of beef quality of products purchased over time. Four hundred and twenty beef loin samples were collected on 20 occasions over 308 days from 13 outlets of 2 supplier types (butcher and supermarket). Packaging type, label information and price were considered for the evaluation of meat tenderness, colour, cooking loss, tissue composition and steak thickness. The results demonstrate that large variation in characteristics relevant to consumers' choice and satisfaction among and within different products sold as porterhouse steak in South Africa. In particular, muscle tenderness varied (P < 0.0001) across the 20 products and also showed significant inconsistency over the 20 purchasing events for certain products.

Feed scarcity is a major challenge facing free-range beef farming in semi-arid areas. Specifically, low quality and quantity of forage in rangelands and higher feeding costs are the main constraints limiting smallholder free-range beef farmers' participation in mainstream beef markets. Using farmers' participatory approaches, this study identified major locally available forage resources (LAFRs) and evaluated their nutritional value. A total of 40 free-ranging commercially orientated smallholder beef farmers were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires and tasked to identify LAFRs in the Cradock and Middelburg areas of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Chemical analysis was conducted for the most cited forages such as African sheepbush (Pentzia incana), sweet thorn (Vachellia karroo) leaves and pods, reed (Phragmites australis), lucerne (Medicago sativa) hay, natural pasture grasses (NPGs) and barbary fig, or prickly pear cactus, (Opuntia ficus-indica) cladodes collected from twelve participants' farms. Feed shortage was ranked by more than 53% respondents as the main constraint to smallholder beef production. Regardless of the farming area, crude protein content of V. karroo leaves and pods averaging 18.8 and 19.5%, respectively, was higher than other LAFRs. However, V. karoo pods had relatively low ash content than other forages in both farming areas. Opuntia ficus-indica attained high in vitro neutral detergent fibre digestibility at 12, 24 and 48 hr incubation periods, due to low neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and acid detergent lignin. Integration of participatory inventory and chemical analysis proved to be reliable in identifying LAFRs, with V. karroo leaves and O. ficus-indica cladodes being the main potential forage resources for inclusion in beef cattle diets. Further research is recommended to substantiate their supplementary nutritive value and level of inclusion in beef cattle finishing diets.

This study determined whether castration and electrical stimulation (ES) influenced chevon tenderness and related physiological characteristics in Boer Goat (BG; n = 36; 21 bucks and 15 wethers) and large frame Indigenous Veld Goat (IVG; n = 41; 21 bucks and 20 wethers). Half of buck and wether carcasses were ES (20s, 400 Volts peak, 5 ms pulses at 15 pulses/s) 10 min post-mortem. Dressed carcasses were chilled (4 degrees C within 1-h post-mortem). pH and temperature decline, % drip loss, sarcomere length (SL), myofibril fragmentation length (MFL; 1- and 4-days post-mortem), Calpain-1, -2 and calpastatin activities (1- and 24-h), Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF; 1-day post-mortem) and sensory attributes (tenderness and juiciness; 4-days post-mortem) were measured on Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and Semimembranosus (SM) muscles. ES carcasses had significantly lower pH irrespective of sex or breed. Buck LTL and SM were less tender (P < 0.05) supported by longer MFL and higher calpastatin activity (P < 0.05), than wether muscles. ES LTL were more tender (WBSF and sensory) (P < 0.001) while ES SM were less affected (P = 0.055). ES caused lower Calpain-1 activity in the LTL. SL do not support cold shortening and calpastatin played a major role in the tenderisation of chevon early postmortem. A longer ageing period is recommended for goat meat in general to achieve acceptable levels of tenderness.

The growing human population requires more food each year, and seafood products can help meet this demand if clean water resources are available for their growth. Farmed and wild mussels are environmentally friendly seafood with many health benefits to human consumers, but they can also pose a health risk if they are harvested from areas where marine anthropogenic pollution is uncontrolled or unmonitored. While the coastline in South Africa has long been assumed to be pristine, a growing number of recent studies are raising contamination concerns. Baseline studies establish a wide range of anthropogenic pollutants to be present in the marine environment, specifically in urbanised or industrialised areas like major cities or harbours. This review summarises how mussels could pose health risks to human consumers and the current research that is being conducted by private researchers and institutions in South Africa. The review emphasises the need for more research in the field and for governmental pollution monitoring data to be released to the public.