Application of Science, Technology, and Art in Producing Meat: a Recipe for Success Steven M

Animal Science Publications Animal Science

10-2012 Application of science, technology, and art in producing meat: A recipe for success Steven M. Lonergan Iowa State University, [email protected]

Elisabeth J. Huff-Lonergan Iowa State University, [email protected]

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Abstract We were pleased to be invited to be guest editors of the first issue ofAnimal Frontiers that is focused on meat production and processing across the globe. There are many important issues in food production and in meat production that relate to efficiency, quality, nutrition, preservation, and food safety. We specifically chose to focus on the connection of meat production in diverse cultures and the advances that will help us continue to improve meat quality and consumer acceptance. We think that the exciting combination of science, technology, and art with an eye toward our cultural heritage is what can help us improve the nutritional contribution to the human diet as well as the quality and value of the meat we produce. When we were invited to work with this issue, we immediately wanted to assemble papers that illustrate the over-arching understanding that technology, science, art, heritage, and tradition are mutually beneficial. In fact, these are all part of the “recipe” that makes our food so much more than just nutrients on our plate.

Disciplines Agriculture | Animal Sciences | Meat Science

Comments This article is from Animal Frontiers 2 (2012): 4–5, doi:10.2527/af.2012-0055. Posted with permission.

This article is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ans_pubs/41 From the editors—Application of science, technology, and art in producing meat: A recipe for success

Steven Lonergan and Elisabeth Huff-Lonergan Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3150, USA

We were pleased to be invited to be guest editors of the fi rst issue promise in this area. Picard et al. (2012) do a particularly good job of of Animal Frontiers that is focused on meat production and processing highlighting the efforts that are underway to use proteomics to understand across the globe. There are many important issues in food production and the mechanisms that infl uence beef, pork, poultry, and fi sh quality. Since in meat production that relate to effi ciency, quality, nutrition, preservation, proteins have such a dynamic role in determining quality, these efforts are and food safety. We specifi cally chose to focus on the connection of meat certain to yield results. production in diverse cultures and the advances that will help us continue Technological advances have truly put our industry and our society in to improve meat quality and consumer acceptance. We think that the ex- a position to make exponential improvements in agriculture. However, citing combination of science, technology, and art with an eye toward our as Rentfrow et al. (2012) so convincingly point out, "technology cannot cultural heritage is what can help us improve the nutritional contribution fully replace the art of making a country ham or the traditions handed to the human diet as well as the quality and value of the meat we produce. down from generation to generation." We couldn’t agree more. Zhou and When we were invited to work with this issue, we immediately wanted to Zhao (2012) are quite persuasive by documenting that, for many years, the assemble papers that illustrate the over-arching understanding that tech- art was ahead of the science of meat production and processing. Indeed, nology, science, art, heritage, and tradition are mutually benefi cial. In fact, many early processors knew what worked, but maybe not why. Today, these are all part of the “recipe” that makes our food so much more than meat and food scientists are continually applying modern methods to learn just nutrients on our plate. why traditional processing methods work and how they can build on them Food components such as protein, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, and to create new, effi cient methods for developing even more satisfying and vitamins are vital in the human diet to sustain life. Foods of animal origin nutritious foods. provide many of these nutrients and have long been used to satisfy human Don Moss (2012) does an excellent job of addressing the fusion of all dietary needs. However, in addition to satisfying nutritional needs, foods of these ideas, much like a chef fuses fl avors and textures in the world of also satisfy cultural and societal needs. We can learn volumes about how culinary art and gastronomy. The culinary scientists and chefs that use our to produce food that meets all of our needs by embracing both traditional products can help those of us in the “technical world” understand what the preparation methods and modern science. new consumers need, how to create those products, and where our future The diversity in food choices, preservation, preparation methods, and challenges in the meat industry will be. So what are the new challenges? serving methods have their roots in the very origins of cultures across Oliver (2012) argues that we shouldn’t necessarily aim for a commodity the globe (Hoffman and Cawthorn, 2012; Jo et al., 2012; Rentfrow et al., product and helps us think outside the box and perhaps see new markets 2012; Zhou and Zhao, 2012). Food is part of our heritage and is an integral for diverse foods we produce. part of identities of different cultures. In the fast-paced 21st century that We hope that all animal and food scientists will consider the artistic allows rapid travel and exchange of ideas, we can celebrate the heritage of heritage as well as the applications of science and technology in food food production and preparation across many different societies. production. We would like to thank all of the authors and reviewers of Meat composition has many implications for food quality and nutri- these papers for creating an exciting, informative, and enjoyable issue. tion. De Smet (2012) and Barnes et al. (2012) document how genetics, We hope that you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting management, and source infl uence the primary contribution of meat to it together! human nutrition. There is great diversity in animal products around the world. Hoffman and Cawthorn (2012) describe the variety of nutritional Literature Cited composition in game meats available in different countries that societies can utilize. Science has made many advancements by using technology to Barnes, K., T. Collins, S. Dion, H. Reynolds, S. Riess, A. Stanzyk, A. Wolfe, S. M. Lonergan, P. Boettcher, U. R. Charrondiere, and B. Stadlmayr. 2012. Impor- address the problem of how to determine the quality of meat so we can tance of cattle biodiversity and its infl uence on the nutrient composition of beef. evaluate genetics, management practices, processing methods, and even Anim. Front. 2(4):54–60. predict quality to determine value of meat products. While genomics have De Smet, S. 2012. Meat, poultry, and fi sh composition: Strategies for optimizing helped us make great strides in these efforts, proteomics show particular human intake of essential nutrients. Anim. Front. 2(4):10–16. Hoffman, L. C., and D. M. Cawthorn. 2012. What is the role and contribution of meat from wildlife in providing high quality protein for consumption? Anim. © S. Lonergan and E. Lonergan Front. 2(4):40–53. doi:10.2527/af.2012-0055

4 Animal Frontiers Jo, C., S. H., Cho, J. Jang, and K. C. Nam. 2012. Keys to production and processing of Hanwoo beef: A perspective of tradition and science. Anim. Front. 2(4):32–38. Moss, D. 2012. Mixing culinary arts with meat science. Anim. Front. 2(4):6–9. Oliver, C. 2012. Artisan beef: An alternative view of beef quality. Anim. Front. 2(4):68–73. Picard, B., L. Florence, and L. Bénédicte. 2012. Meat and ﬁ sh ﬂ esh quality im- provement with proteomic applications. Anim. Front. 2(4):18–25. Rentfrow, G., R. Chaplin, and S. Suman. 2012. Technology of dry-cured ham production: Science enhancing art. Anim. Front. 2(4):26–31. Zhou , G. H., and G. M. Zhao. 2012. History and heritage of Jinhua ham. Anim. Front. 2(4):62–67.

About the Authors Steven Lonergan is a Professor of Ani- mal Science at Iowa State University. Dr. Lonergan’s research focus at Iowa State University has been centered on discovery and fundamental description of molecular factors that inﬂ uence muscle growth and meat quality. He is author or co-author of 71 peer-reviewed articles, two textbooks and four book chapters. He has contributed 33 invited presentations to national and international audiences. Dr. Lonergan has been principal or co-principal investigator in more than 50 research projects totaling more than $11,000,000. He was the recipient of the American Meat Science Association Achievement Award (2002), Distinguished Teaching Award (2008), and Distinguished Research Award (2012). He was also the recipient of the American Society of Animal Science Meat Science Research Award (2009). Steven’s activities in the animal science scientiﬁ c community extend well beyond his contributions of cutting-edge science and new perspectives. He has served on the National Board of Directors for the American Society of Animal Science. He has served as vice chair (2007) and chair (2008) of the National Program Committee for the Joint Annual Meeting of ASAS/ADSA. Steven has also served on the Board of Directors for the American Meat Sci- ence Association and was program chair for the Reciprocal Meat Conference in 2011. He is currently an associate editor of the Journal of Animal Science and a member of the editorial board for Meat Science and the Encyclopedia of Meat Science.

Dr. Elisabeth Huff-Lonergan is a Profes- sor in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. Her ﬁ eld of research is applied muscle biology and early postmortem muscle/meat biochemistry. She is author or co-author of more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and seven book chapters and has contributed to more than 45 invited presentations to national and international audiences. Dr. Huff-Lonergan has been principal or co-principal investigator in more than 50 research projects totaling over $8,000,000. In 2007, she was chosen by the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) to receive the ASAS Meat Research Award. In 2009, she was awarded the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) Distinguished Research Award. She is the recipient of the Iowa State University Award for Mid-Career Achievement (2010) and the Iowa Beta Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta University Mis- sion Award for Research (2011). Dr. Huff-Lonergan serves as the associate editor of the international journal Meat Science, the premier journal for her discipline. She continues to provide service on the editorial board of several other scientiﬁ c journals. She has also served on the board of directors of AMSA.

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