Scientific Resource Guides & Papers
White Papers
White papers and reference documents address the science behind current issues facing the meat industry. The following titles are currently available:
AMSA Resource Guides
Published by AMSA
- Color Chemistry-Resource Guide Color of muscle foods revolves around myoglobin, the primary red pigment in meat. Understanding the chemical states of myoglobin is important for managing and controlling color.
- Color: Factors Impacting - Resource Guide Numerous factors affect meat color. Traits of the muscle itself, biochemical reactions within the meat, live animal attributes and many external and environmental factors may contribute to meat color and changes to color.
- Salmonella Pathogenicity - Resource Guide The pathogenicity of Salmonella refers to its ability to cause illness in humans and animals. Many factors impact the likelihood for an illness to occur.
- Salmonella Enumeration - Resource Guide The quantity of viable Salmonella cells influences the potential to cause human illness. Rapid, precise quantification methods are important for collecting information to fully assess public health risk of products.
- Salmonella Interventions -Resource Guide Multiple interventions are needed as part of risk-based mitigation strategies to control Salmonella in poultry from farm to fork
- Salmonella Overview Salmonella is a gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria with a talent for adapting to its environment. This ability to grow or persist in many different conditions makes it particularly problematic as a foodborne pathogen.
- Anatomy of a Meat Product Label
In the U.S, labeling of meat and poultry products intended for interstate commerce is closely regulated by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
- Beta-Agonists: What Are They and Why Do We Use Them in Livestock Production?
Beta-adrenergic receptor agonists (beta-agonists, for short) are synthetic compounds that mimic some of the effects of naturally-occurring compounds by binding to beta-receptors on the surface of cells within the muscle, fat and other tissues of animals.
- Mechanically Separated Poultry
Mechanically separated poultry (chicken or turkey) is a low-cost poultry protein, which is produced by mechanically separating bone and attached skeletal muscle.
Co-Published Fact Sheets
AMSA and the National Pork Board have co-published a series of fact sheets on various aspects of pork quality. Titles are listed below.