Improving the meat quality of pigs and broiler chickens

mEATquality is a Horizon 2020 research project that analyses consumer attitudes, perceptions, and preferences regarding sustainable meat production to meet the demands of European citizens. The project is looking into the housing and management of two intensively kept livestock species: broiler chickens and pigs. "Changes in animal housing systems are expected in the coming years to comply with future updates of EU animal welfare legislation and to meet consumer demand for more sustainable pork and poultry meat from environmentally- and welfare-friendly production systems", project partner Paolo Ferrari explains. The project focuses on the direct impact that certain critical factors related to extensive husbandry practices such as diet, genetics, and stocking density can have on the quality of meat.

The overall ambition of the mEATquality project is to provide consumers with better quality pork and broiler meat, including conventional farms, organic farms, and free-range systems. The project aims to do this by promoting extensive husbandry practices that consider both sustainability and animal welfare.

The project aims to inform consumers about the relationship between production methods and the quality of the pork and broiler meat through educational tutorials, videos, the EU Meat Database, and by sharing the best practices. “Our food systems are constantly evolving, and so is the information that consumers get on meat products. Ensuring that they get the right information on how meat is produced in relation to the quality of the product is very important: it allows them to make conscious decisions in the supermarket” says Hans Spoolder, project coordinator. Find out more in the article.

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