Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station
Active Projects 2009

Note: A NEW project—initiated within last year—might not have an annual report, publications, or outcomes/impact.
Project: COL00214B Department: Animal Sciences Multi-State Project No: W-2177
PIs: Belk, KE ; Sofos, JN ; Tatum, JD ; Smith, GC ; Nightingale, KK ; Goodridge, LD
Title: Enhancing the Competitiveness and Value of U.S. Beef
Begin Date: 10/01/2007 Term Date: 09/30/2012 Most recent project status: New
Objectives: 1. Enhance palatability, processing, and marketing of beef by studying instrument grading, beef flavor and tenderness technologies, and carcass cutting strategies 2. Develop science-rooted strategies and technologies to reduce foodborne illness and improve the effectiveness of policies related to food safety and trade. 3. Determine factors influencing domestic and international consumer preferences for beef. 4. Assess supply chain management strategies to identify and overcome barriers that interfere with the transmission of consumer preferences to producers 5. Evaluate the cost/benefit of traceability and assess its value in market-based programs
Approach: Multiple projects will utilize well-known protocols for measuring microbiological, quality, and desireability aspects associated with red meats. Bioassays will be utilized for measuring TSE transmissability. Additionally, novel molecular, enzymatic and immunochemical approaches to address food safety, trade, and quality issues will be incorporated including, but not limited to, PCR, Western blot, ELISA, PFGE, ribotyping, etc. Instrument studies will initiate use of new technologies which include measures of degradative enzyme activities and high-resolution digital imaging.
Keywords: beef, pork, lamb, quality, trade, safety, bacteria, pathogens, encephalopathy, instrument grading, tenderness