Organic meat quality

The present chapter briefly describes the international basic standards in use for the organic farming of meat animals. The situation of the two main organic meat markets (viz. oversupplies in EU and fast growth in USA), where demand and supply are both developed, and the potential development in other countries, where the internal demand is limited and the production is export-oriented, is then examined in terms of commercial value, number of meat animals, price premiums for farmers, and price to consumers. Consumer price represents the main limit to the expansion of organic meat purchasing; possible strategies to overcome this constraint are also discussed. An ample discussion is dedicated to the effects of organic farming (e.g. extensive rearing system, appropriate breed and feeding based on pasture) on meat quality (e.g. pH, colour, instrumental texture, sensory tenderness and flavour) and on differentiation from conventional products. Finally, we describe safety problems possibly arising in conventional meat (e.g. hormone, antibiotics and other growth promotant administration), and in organic products (limited use of conventional medicine to prevent and cure bacterial and parasitic infections). The reasons for possible increased healthiness of organic meat are also illustrated.