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New techniques to process fresh meat will result in less waste of animal based food

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October 17, 2019

In the near future major changes in the way we process fresh meat are ahead. Increased use of automation will lead to improvements in efficiency, traceability and hygiene in processing red meat, poultry and fish. "Efficient use of resources makes sure less animal based foods are wasted", says Prof. Shai Barbut. On October 17th he held his inaugural address as Professor by special appointment of Poultry and Meat Sciences at Wageningen University & Research.

Global meat consumption is expected to significantly increase by 2050. The increase is a result of population growth as well as increased demand for meat in developing countries where people now have more disposable income. Although a protein transition is inevitable, producing meat in a safe, sustainable and responsible way to meet the growing demand is also a big challenge to our society.

Product quality

To face that challenge, an integrated approach that requires expertise in production, processing and consumption is needed. Meat science encompasses various disciplines with the goal of bringing to the consumer wholesome meat products. One of the goals of this new chair position of Prof. Barbut is therefore to connect these areas and gain insight into the interactions of production conditions (during live animal rearing) and the final meat product quality.

The themes of this special chair fit into the Wageningen research to investigate the complex animal food chain in order to achieve sustainable methods with attention for animal welfare, low emissions, low energy use, minimal food waste and high-quality products. The Special Chair is supported by Marel Poultry.

Prof. Barbut
Prof. Barbut