1. In the TIGER project (Tierschutzgerechte Gasbetäubung von Schlachtschweinen im Diplift- und Paternoster-System) we are investigating alternative gases (argon, nitrogen and their mixtures with CO2) for stunning slaughter pigs taking into account animal welfare and meat quality.
Here is more information on utility of blood parameters for assessing stunning and meat quality in pigs.

2. The color of food is an important indicator of quality and plays a major role in purchasing decisions. Feeding novel protein sources, such as algae or insects, to livestock can affect the color of the meat. Little is known about the magnitude of color differences that are perceptible to the human eye and therefore relevant.
Here is more information on Human perception of color differences using animal products as an example.

3. The effectiveness of a bullet is checked by means of ballistic soap or gelatin. These so-called simulants are internationally recognized as substitutes for biological tissues in terms of interaction with a (hunting) projectile As natural products, their production is influenced by multiple factors and thus subject to marked variation (Maiden et al 2015 Carr et al 2018)
Here is more information on Validation of ballistic gelatin for measuring the effectiveness of hunting bullets.

At the end of the project, Katja Götz and Daniel Mörlein presented the key results of the Göttingen work package. The focus was on the variability of the meat and fat quality of immunocastrated animals compared to female fattening pigs under practical conditions and suitability for processing. To this end, we have chemically and physically examined samples from more than 800 carcasses, conducted sensory studies and consumer tests. An excerpt of the most important results is available here on meat and fat quality and sensory and consumer acceptance, respectively.

Consumers closely associate color with product freshness and is therefore one of their most important search attributes. For this reason, color is often closely monitored as a product quality attribute and studies have been devoted to understanding consumer preferences for meat color. However, the results of such research are difficult to interpret because little is known regarding the perceivable threshold of color differences. Therefore, we set out to determine the threshold of discrimination using a color spectrum modelled using color measurements of raw pork. We sampled 473 consumers using a decentralized online questionnaire. Results show that small differences (ΔE ≈ 1) in color are already perceivable to consumers. Furthermore, a color difference in yellow hues is more perceivable than a difference in red hues. Difference in lightness are the most difficult to perceive. Our results are essential for interpreting meat color measurements and understanding when differences in color may be relevant. In addition, our results can better inform future experiments on assessing consumer preferences for meat quality attributes, specifically color.

Original publication:
Brianne A. Altmann, Jan Gertheiss, Igor Tomasevic, Christina Engelkes, Thibaud Glaesener, Jule Meyer, Alina Schäfer, Richard Wiesen, Daniel Mörlein: Human perception of color differences using computer vision system measurements of raw pork loin (Meat Science) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2022.108766

Contact:
Dr. Brianne Altmann University of Göttingen Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Sciences Quality of Animal Products Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany Tel: +49 (0)551 39-25611 Email: brianne.altmann@agr.uni-goettingen.de www.uni-goettingen.de/en/86980.htmll
Prof. Daniel Mörlein daniel.moerlein@uni-goettingen.de
read more: Link

This year it was a very close race between three vodcasts - both teachers and students agreed that 3 vodcasts were by far the most entertaining and educational in their implementation of the respective focus topic. The vodcasts are available in German language only.
First place: Agrartalk: Insects as food and fodder
Second place:Quality and authenticity of animal products in Europe
Third place:Mixed Minced Meat: Can insect proteins also be used in our sausage?
Thank you very much for your time and creative ideas in implementing the contents - and all this in spite of limited time and corona restrictions.
We are already looking forward to the next winter semester and many new creative vodcasts on topics related to the quality of animal products!

The research group “Product Quality for Animal Products” would like to congratulate Ms. Anna Trinks (Gottfried Wilhem Leibniz University Hannover) and Mr. Frederik Paul Morthorst (University of Goettingen) on the exceptional completion of their theses projects.
Through her master thesis covering a systematic literature review and consumer survey on egg shell colour, Ms. Trinks investigated and cemented the understanding of consumer preferences for the appearance of animal products. Consumer preferences for product colour differ regionally and across demographic groups, resulting in very heterogeneous preferences within worldwide markets. German consumers state that egg shell colour is not important when purchasing eggs; yet, the results of Ms. Trinks show that consumers renege on packages with different egg shell colours or unfamiliar egg shell colour (green). Most importantly, production system and credence attributes associated with production system influence consumer preferences for eggs more greatly than egg shell colour. The thesis project was supervised by Prof. Dr. Tuba Esatbeyoglu (Institute of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Department of Food Development and Food Quality, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover) and Dr. Brianne A. Altmann (Product Quality for Animal Products, Department for Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen).
In his bachelor thesis project, Mr. Morthorst investigated the effect of insect feed on the meat quality of two slow-growing chicken breeds. Particularly innovative was the rearing of insects for feed; the insects were produced at the Free University of Bolzano using municipal waste materials. The insects were then processed and included as a main ingredient in the chicken feed. Hubbard ISA JA 757 and Bresse chickens were consecutively raised using the innovative feed and meat quality was evaluated for imitated retail-ready cuts. The resulting chicken piece products differed greatly in size based on the breed; genetically, Bresse chickens tend to be smaller. Insect feed led to a more golden-yellow raw product colour and reduced moisture-loss during storage, compared to the status quo soybean-based chicken feed. Overall, insect feed is compatible with production systems using both slow-growing chicken breeds; insects as feed can minimally improve chicken product quality. The thesis project was supervised by Dr. Brianne A. Altmann (Product Quality for Animal Products, Department for Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen) und Dr. Stefanie Ammer (Livestock Systems, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen).
A big hearty congratulation goes out to the two up-and-coming young researchers and their outstanding contribution to the research on animal product quality!

The presentation first highlighted factors that negatively influence consumer perception of pork. One consequence is the declining per capita consumption of pork in Germany. Prof. Mörlein addressed the issue of consistently implementing the demand "less but better". In addition to the implementation of necessary transformations for more animal, climate and environmental protection, the palatability should also be noticeably improved, according to the central statement of the lecture. To this end, exemplary breeding possibilities for improvement were shown and findings on the heritability of relevant traits (including intramuscular fat, tenderness, drip and cooking juice loss) were presented. Furthermore, Daniel Mörlein presented proposals for solutions to mitigate conflicts of objectives, e.g. in the payment of carcasses, and discussed the opportunities of a more differentiated pork in view of consumer segments with varying preferences.

Researchers from the Thünen Institute of Organic Farming and the University of Göttingen are the first to investigate very early immunocastration in male piglets to prevent ‘boar taint’, which affects the taste of meat from non-castrated animals. Being an alternative to surgical castration, immunocastration induces an immune response against certain hormones thereby delaying sexual maturity. The project team collected extensive data on the effects on fattening performance, meat and fat quality, as well as on the behaviour and well-being of the animals. The results of the study have been published in the journal Animals. A total of 109 pigs were castrated with Improvac© in three test runs, either very early, ie in the 3rd and 7th week of life, or following the conventional timing, ie during the period of fattening in the 12th and 19th week of life. The development of boar taint was reliably inhibited in over 90 percent of the test animals. The production performance as well as the behaviour and well-being of the animals did not differ between the two groups. There were no significant differences in meat and fat quality compared to the conventional use of immunocastration procedures during fattening. "The early immunocastration against boar taint can be easily integrated into the standard working processes of organic and conventional piglet producers, which makes handling much easier compared to older fatten-ing pigs," explains Ralf Bussemas from the Thünen Institute for Organic Farming in Trenthorst. "The results of our study – the first of its kind to date – show a way to make immunocastration against boar taint feasible for small and medium-sized farms as well as larger producers," adds Dr Johanna Mörlein from the Department of Farm Animal Science at Göttingen University. The results showed that immunocastration as a non-invasive measure is particularly suitable for influencing the development of boar meat odour at an early stage without subjecting the piglets to the stress of surgical castration. It remains to be seen whether a higher dose than that used in the trial can completely prevent odour deviations. The project was funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture based on a resolution of the German parliament.

Original publication:

• Werner, D.; Baldinger, L.; Bussemas, R.; Büttner, S.; Weißmann, F.; Ciulu, M.; Mörlein, J.; Mörlein, D. Early Immunocastration of Pigs: From Farming to Meat Quality. Animals 2021, 11, 298. Online available: Link