New Frontiers in Meat and Meat Products—SI ICoMST

1. Introduction

Despite experts’ warnings and statements about hazards connected with meat consumption, it is growing all over the world. Meat demand is related to living standards, livestock production, prices and ethical approaches. In the OECD-FAO report for 2018, it was predicted that meat consumption would increase to 35.4 kg per capita by 2027 [1]. Three years later, OECD experts reported that due to increasing health and environmental concerns, it would start to level off in the near future [2]. The most probable scenario is that red meat will be replaced by poultry and dairy products. Meanwhile, an increase in meat analogue consumption can be observed. WHO recommendations towards decreasing red meat consumption [3] led to an increase in the number of so-called flexitarians, who limit eating meat while increasing dairy, fruit and vegetable consumption [4]. All of the above-mentioned issues must be dealt with, and a new approach to animal production, consumption and processing is required. Researchers all over the world should become involved and pose common goals—which are human health and well-being affected by the state of our planet and our diet.

2. 67th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology

This Special Issue was introduced to broadly present the work published at the Proceedings of the 67th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology (ICoMST, 2021). The congress held in Kraków, Poland, is one of the biggest world gatherings of meat scientists and business representatives. Following the changing trends in animal production, consumption and processing, a vast range of topics was presented during the congress. These were: ‘Animal tissue biology’, ‘Innovations in animal production’, ‘Animal welfare vs. human welfare’, ‘Bioactive compounds from and for meat’, ‘Safety and authenticity in animal production’, ‘Meat processing including emerging technologies’, ‘Nutritional quality of meat’, ‘meat analogues and available alternatives’, ‘Traditional meat products’, ‘Sustainability in meat processing—waste management and pet food production’, as well as ‘Consumer trends and food waste reduction’. The number of presentations indicates the enormous involvement of world-class scientists regarding the problems facing humanity within the context of meat production and consumption as well as producers, who should be supported during the changing situation in the meat market. This Special Issue concerns only a small part of the topics discussed during the congress. However, there are positions regarding meat quality, consumer attitudes towards protein sources, sustainability, and product quality. In one article, differential expression of microRNA is described in the case of dark cutting beef, showing the potential of microRNA as an indicator of dark cutting beef occurrence [5]. This quality trait is one of the significant problems for the meat industry. In the article by Szulc et al. [6], the authors present differences in muscle fibre characteristics between the traditional Polish breed (Zlotnicka spotted) and its hybrids with other breeds in terms of meat quality. This is another example of an attempt to understand the changes occurring as a result of cross-breeding and its consequences influencing meat quality. The aspects of introducing plant sources into meat formulations were discussed in the articles by Munsu et al. [7] and Zaini et al. [8]. Both authors propose solutions presented for flexitarians, introducing banana peel into meat mixture being an additional a good example of increased sustainability in agricultural production. An instance concerning the quality of a vegan sausage based on tomatoes, sunflower oil, sunflower and pumpkin seeds with grape flour was presented by Tremlova et al. [9]. This is an example of product optimisation with both aspects of limiting meat consumption and increasing sustainability. Finally, an interesting consumer approach towards meat-like products, depending on customer beliefs and individual preferences, is presented by Antoniak et al. [10]. As shown by the authors, the final purchasing decision is based on the way the product is presented to a customer, what kind of information is provided, such as protein claim, and the name of a certain product giving specific suggestions.

3. Future ICoMSTs

It seems obvious that due to many changes in animal production, market situation, consumer demand, and many other factors, research on the subject must be continued. Basic studies on muscle tissue biology are the foundation for understanding and the ability to manipulate all aspects of meat quality. Modern analytical tools allow discovering more and more information. Interdisciplinary studies aid the combination of knowledge, making it useful, and serving humanity more sufficiently. We are looking forward to future congresses, which, undoubtedly, will be a great source of knowledge shared with those who can use it in practice.