Food research institute Campden BRI is looking for partners to help with new research that aims to revise established standards in order to improve the sustainability of red meat products.

Campden says the study could save producers and retailers millions of pounds in the avoidance of wasted food by updating specifications to reflect current meat production.

Microbiologist, Greg Jones, who is leading the project, said: “Our new project will investigate whether existing standards for assessing shelf-life are in line with today’s production practices for red meats.

“When it comes to shelf-life, red meat products are renowned for being highly-perishable. Yet it’s quite possible that, due to advancements in the meat industry, current rejection thresholds for levels of microorganisms are set using standards that may not consider modern production methods, leading to significant food waste and cost.

“We’ll be undertaking microbiological and sensory testing to see if we can set more realistic standards, making this food more sustainable and potentially increasing shelf-life without compromising product safety.”

The scientists are looking for raw red meat producers, and retailers, to work with them on the project so that they can undertake investigations and analyses on a comprehensive range of products.

The research will begin in April and run for a year. It will involve suppliers and retailers from across the red meat sector providing a range of products for testing.

WRAP currently estimates that more than 380,000 tonnes of meat, worth £3 billion, is wasted in the UK each year from production through to the consumer – measuring more than 4 million tonnes in CO2 equivalents.

Any companies wanting to take part in the research should email Greg Jones at greg.jones@campdenbri.co.uk or call on +44 (0)1386 842143.