Nothing beats the heavenly feeling of putting the first piece of succulent and great-tasting meat in your mouth and experiencing its flavours as it melts. As consumers, we always expect our meat to be fresh, tasty and of the highest quality. But it takes more than just efficient processing at the commercial stage for meat to taste exceptional. The secret to naturally great-tasting meat is the way the source animal is reared and cared. It starts at the farm level with how animals are fed and looked after.
A farm that follows the best animal management, hygiene, and transportation practices always produces the highest quality meat. When animals are handled with care, given sufficient nutrition, and protected from harmful, artificial substances, they are more likely to thrive, stay healthy, and produce great tasting and quality meat than those deprived of adequate attention. From colour and juiciness to fat content and tenderness, all the qualities of the best standard meat are affected by how animals are fed and cared.
Another important aspect of animal rearing that affects the end quality of meat, is stress. Frequent animal fights, weather changes, poor feed quality, and inefficient transportation practices are some of the biggest reasons for stress among farm animals. By preventing and controlling these factors, meat producers can ensure that animals remain happy and healthy and their meat is tasty and of high quality. They can do so by implementing ways to encourage calmness in animals, such as playing music in the barn, ensuring every animal is checked for health issues every morning, and more.
Another element that directly impacts the taste and quality of meat is the animal’s health. The amount of fat in the meat, also called marbling, is greatly impacted by the health of the source animal. That is why producers must always vaccinate their animal(s) against the most common diseases as only disease-free animals are healthy, happy, and protected.
The age of the animal also plays a crucial role in the way the end-product tastes and feels. Animals that receive adequate care and energy and sufficient quantities of protein from a very young age are more likely to produce exceptional-tasting meat. The younger the animal, the better, tastier, and more tender its meat.
Finally, the transportation conditions and the availability of clean food and water during the journey can also impact the meat quality. When animals are transported in unhygienic vehicles and deprived of adequate food and water for longer durations, they produce low-quality meat with limited fat content.
There is a whole science behind naturally great-tasting meat. The next time you are served a delicious chicken or any other succulent meat, remember it is only possible because the animal was lovingly cared for throughout its life and given the best nutrition, environment, and transportation by the producers.