Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Local livestock producers continue to encounter a lack of local slaughter capacity and high costs associated with processing services of local meat processors as major hurdles to meet the growing demand of locally-sourced meat products. Limited processing facilities and capabilities, such as small size carcass cooler and storage units, directly influence the high cost for processing service of local meats. Also, providing consistently high quality and wholesome meat products to local consumers is crucial to the continued success of the local, regional, and national meat sectors. Numerous studies have reported that consumers are willing to pay premiums for meat products with guaranteed eating quality. Consumers who shop in the local market generally have a high of expectation of local meat products for production-type related attributes (i.e. certified organic, grass-fed, and/or natural) and/or superior eating quality differences. Failure to meet this expectation due to quality-related issues will erode consumer satisfaction, and subsequently reduce profits for small/local processors over time. The ultimate goal of our research program is to establish novel post-harvest processing systems that can be easily applied to improve beef quality attributes and thus foster the profitability and sustainability of the local meat sectors. Our central hypothesis is that, through application of novel chemo-mechanical process, the palatability attributes of meat will be significantly improved by weakening of the muscle structure and cellular disruption. We will accomplish our overall objective by addressing the following research objectives: Specifically, we will first identify optimal chemo-mechanical processing regimen and document their impacts on eating quality attributes of different beef subprimals. Next, we will develop AI-driven prediction model to implement the chemo-mechanics manufacturing of various beef products for application of these findings across meat processors. Finally, we will evaluate the economic impacts of application of chemo-mechanical processing on local small/mid-size meat processors through cost-benefit analyses. The successful completion of the proposed research can be expected to lead to new avenues of understanding and applicable technologies that can be used to improve meat quality attributes as well as to enhance the overall value of under-utilized/under-valued fresh beef. Further, it will result in a considerable cost reduction for the local meat processors through accelerated processing throughput. This will, in turn, significantly and positively impact the profitability of the small-scale meat processors by increasing consumer confidence in improved meat quality and competitive costs.
Animal Health Component
30%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
30%
Developmental
20%
Goals / Objectives
High costs and inconsistent/inferior meat quality attributes are two major hurdles to the growth of local/small- and mid-scale meat processors. The ultimate goal of our research program is to establish novel post-harvest processing systems that can be easily applied to improve beef quality attributes and thus foster the profitability and sustainability of the local meat sectors. Our central hypothesis is that, through application of novel chemo-mechanical process, the palatability attributes of meat will be significantly improved by weakening of the muscle structure and cellular disruption. We will accomplish our overall objective by addressing the following three specific research objectives:Objective 1: Characterize Chemo-Mechanical Processing Mechanisms to Identify Optimal Processing Regimen and Document Their Impacts on Eating Quality Attributes of Beef Subprimals from Bos Indicus Breed and Cull Cow.Objective 2: Develop Data-Driven Prediction Model, aided by Artificial Intelligence Algorithm, to Implement the Chemo-Mechanics Manufacturing of Various Beef Products for Application of These Findings Across Multiple Equipment and Meat Processors.Objective 3: Evaluate the Economic Costs and Benefits of Chemo-Mechanical Processing on the Local/Small- and Mid-Scale Meat ProcessorsThe successful completion of the proposed research will serve as a foundation and critical information for developing innovative template strategies to maximize positive aging impacts on meat quality and value. Consequently, knowledge generated will have immediate implications for making new discoveries that could be used not only to improve quality, future profitability, and sustainability of the local meat entities, but also to offer consumers more consistent high quality, yet economically priced meat products.
Project Methods
Objective 1: Characterize Chemo-Mechanical Processing Mechanisms to Identify Optimal Processing Regimen and Document Their Impacts on Eating Quality Attributes of Beef Subprimals from Bos Indicus Breed and Cull Cow. We will conduct two independent experiments to identify an optimal chemo-mechanical processing regimen by comparing various cumulative revolutions of tumbler and document its impacts on palatability attributes of various beef muscles from Bos indicus inheritance (experiment 1) and cull-cows (experiment 2). In both experiments, we will use three muscles - boneless strip loins, top sirloins, and top rounds. We will determine meat eating quality attributes as well as evaluate biochemical attributes including the extent of endogenous protease activities (e.g. calpain) upon chemo-mechanical processing and its concomitant impacts on muscle ultrastructural changes, myofibrillar protein degradation, and collagen solubility. We will also determine the impacts of chemo-mechanical activation on other important quality attributes including microbiological shelf-life, as well as display color and oxidative stability and release of nano-plasticizers to ensure the absence of any contaminants from packaging post-process. Upon completion of Objective 1, we will have identified the optimal chemo-mechanical activation regimen based on eating quality attributes of different beef muscles.Objective 2: Develop Data-Driven Prediction Model, aided by Artificial Intelligence Algorithm, to Implement the Chemo-Mechanics Manufacturing of Various Beef Products for Application of These Findings Across Multiple Equipment and Meat Processors. We will develop a transformative chemo-mechanical processing prediction model for practical adoptability for meat processor application. Based on collected data from Objective 1, with Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Machine Learning approaches, we will develop models for optimizing processor-specific chemo-mechanical manufacturing system operations considering different subprimals types, size, weight, postmortem times, as well as different tumbling capacity across multiple equipment and each processor to maximize the process' efficacy, impacts and adoptability.Objective 3. Evaluate the Economic Costs and Benefits of Chemo-Mechanical Processing on the Local/Small- and Mid-Scale Meat Processors. Here we will evaluate the economic impacts of application of chemo-mechanical processing on local small/mid-size beef producers and meat processors through cost-benefit analyses. These analyses will include the cost saving calculation, operation costs, and premium revenues. We will also collect nationally representative survey data employed in econometrics modeling to identify local consumer willingness to pay under various market conditions.