Sustainability II: Sustainable animal production and meat processing

Effects of Nutritional Factors on Fat Content, Fatty Acid Composition, and Sensorial Properties of Meat and Milk from Domesticated Ruminants: An Overview

“…Beef is an end result of domesticated cattle ( Bos taurus ) production—although the point of harvest within an animal’s lifecycle will depend on its primary purpose, e.g., dairy, breeding, draft, or hobby [ 119 ]. It is recognised that the diet of cattle will contribute to the sensorial quality, nutritional value, and shelf life of its meat (beef) [ 7 , 120 ]. In response, much effort has been focused on the strategic modification of cattle diets to enhance the preferential attributes of the beef, as well as to maintain animal productivity and welfare [ 6 , 44 , 63 , 121 ].…”

“…Rearing ruminants under pasture or forage feeding is economical, but it does not always produce superior weight or better animals with greater fatness when compared with concentrate (e.g., total mixed ration; TMR) or feedlot finishing. However, with advances in agricultural industries and technologies in the modern era, ruminant animals are increasingly housed under intensive or semi-intensive systems that better suit faster growth rates, environmental benefits, and animal welfare practices [ 7 ]. In addition to fresh forages, silage, and hay, ruminants are fed with field-crop residues, cereal grains, protein meals, and by-products from agrifood industries when reared under intensive or semi-intensive production systems.…”

Feeding pomegranate pulp to Ghezel lambs for enhanced productivity and meat quality

“…The (semi-)intensive production of lamb meat often relies on cereal and grain-based feeds and their being of high quality, low cost, and ready availability. Competition, climate, and geopolitics have had significant impact on the reliability of cereal and grain-based feeds for these production systems ( OECD-FAO, 2021 ; Ponnampalam & Holman, 2023 ; Sandström et al, 2022 ), resulting in many prime lamb producers seeking alternative and comparable feedstuffs. In this application, agrifood and industrial by-products may be viable candidate feedstuff – being the organic residues of horticultural and agronomic production as well as from food processing, biofuel and oil production, and forestry sectors ( Salami et al, 2019 ; Yang et al, 2021 ).…”

Literature Review on Technological Applications to Monitor and Evaluate Calves’ Health and Welfare

“…Increasing efficiency in livestock production is needed to ensure that enough food can be produced to meet the demands of a growing population, help reduce the environmental impact, and ensure that food is available and affordable [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Precision livestock farming (PLF) has the potential to increase efficiency in livestock production by providing farmers with the tools they need to make data-driven decisions and optimise their management practices.…”