Brazil Sheep Quality: system for certification and standardization for sheep palatability

• Grant number: 21/02000-4
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Duration: January 01, 2022 - December 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry
• Principal Investigator: Bruna Biava de Menezes
• Grantee: Bruna Biava de Menezes
• Host Company: Brazil Beef Quality Ltda. - ME
• CNAE: Atividades de apoio à pecuária ; Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais ; Atividades profissionais, científicas e técnicas não especificadas anteriormente
• City: Piracicaba
• Pesquisadores principais: Marcelo Aranda da Silva Coutinho
• Associated researchers: Cristina Tschorny Moncau Gadbem ; Gregori Alberto Rovadoscki
• Associated scholarship(s): 22/03510-9 - Brazil Sheep Quality: system for certification and standardization of sheep meat for palatability, BP.TT; 22/00136-9 - Brazil Sheep Quality: system for certification and standardization of sheep meat for palatability, BP.TT; 22/00167-1 - Brazil Sheep Quality: system for certification and standardization of sheep meat for palatability, BP.TT; 21/13046-5 - Brazil sheep quality: system for certification and standardization of sheep meat for palatability, BP.PIPE

Abstract

The premium meat production has grown at expressive levels for at least a decade. Sheep meat has always been in demand for haute cuisine, and nowadays it is gaining popularity and space in meat boutiques, restaurants and supermarkets as the news in the premium meat segment. However, the inconsistency in quality observed by consumers, such as the lack of standardization and quality assurance and the incompatibility between consumer preferences and product characteristics, are reasons for dissatisfaction, negatively impacting the consumption of this product. To try to solve these problems, Australia and New Zealand, examples of successful markets and large exporters, have adopted systems of quality control and classification of products following the perspective of quality of consumers. Brazil has important productive conditions for the production of high-quality meat, such as environment and genetics. However, it lacks systems that guide the production system in an objective and transparent manner, and that informs the quality desired by consumers in an accurate and efficient manner, following the example of those countries, bringing confidence and minimizing unpleasant surprises to consumers. Carcass classification can be considered a technologically and operationally viable method for predicting meat palatability (association between tenderness, flavor, juiciness and overall satisfaction). Marbling, pH, subcutaneous fat thickness, ossification, sexual category are examples of characteristics that affect meat quality and can be used in equations to predict palatability. The objective of this project is the development of equations to predict palatability and to classify sheep meat in different quality classes as a method of standardizing meat cuts for consumers. The prediction equations will be developed based on the application of statistical techniques of discriminant function, linear regression and joint analysis of experiments. For these applications, a database will be built with information on animals, carcass characteristics, procedures in the industry and sensory tests with sheep meat consumers. With this approach, the innovation proposed here will be the first to bring technical and scientific criteria for the production of sheep meat with standardized and guaranteed quality to Brazil, as an important step towards international recognition as a producer of sheep meat of differentiated quality. The product will be introduced to the market as a system of prediction and certification of the quality of sheep meat for consumers, and a feedback system for producers, by providing a complete report of the carcass characteristics and the classification of each animal, assisting them in decision making. The resulting product (certification seal) can be used in meats considered by consumers to be good, very good and excellent quality (associated with palatability), marketed by brands that are part of the Brazil Sheep Quality program. (AU)