The effect of farmyard stress on meat quality: A model enabling the search for predictive biomarkers of meat pH

Abstract

High pH meat is frequently associated with poor shelf-life and eating quality, and pH is a commonly used marker for meat quality. Early detection of high pH lamb is desirable and can improve meat quality control. Due to the variability in the occurrence of high pH at meat processing plants in New Zealand, there is a need for reproducible models that allow the study of abnormal pH in meat. We devised a pilot trial using standardised farmyard stress to produce high pH meat. To confirm the impact of the model on meat we measured biochemical features in the meat samples that can be related to meat pH. In future, biomarkers of high pH in the meat could be used for enhancing animal welfare and confirm the relationship between minimising pre-slaughter stress and improving the consistency of meat quality.