Skip to main content
Elsevier
View Cart

Lawrie’s Meat Science

Lawrie’s Meat Science has established itself as a standard work for both students and professionals in the meat industry. Its basic theme remains the central importance of bioche… Read more

World Book Day celebration

Where learning shapes lives

Up to 25% off trusted resources that support research, study, and discovery.

Explore resources

Description

Lawrie’s Meat Science has established itself as a standard work for both students and professionals in the meat industry. Its basic theme remains the central importance of biochemistry in understanding the production, storage, processing and eating quality of meat. At a time when so much controversy surrounds meat production and nutrition, Lawrie’s meat science, written by Lawrie in collaboration with Ledward, provides a clear guide which takes the reader from the growth and development of meat animals, through the conversion of muscle to meat, to the point of consumption.The seventh edition includes details of significant advances in meat science which have taken place in recent years, especially in areas of eating quality of meat and meat biochemistry.

Key features

  • A standard reference for the meat industry
  • Discusses the importance of biochemistry in production, storage and processing of meat
  • Includes significant advances in meat and meat biochemistry

Readership

Food researchers, the meat industry, students, academics

Table of contents

Chapter 1: Introduction

  • 1.1 Meat and muscle
  • 1.2 The origin of meat animals
  • 1.3 Current trends and developments

Chapter 2: Factors influencing the growth and development of meat animals

  • 2.1 General
  • 2.2 Genetic aspects
  • 2.3 Environmental physiology
  • 2.4 Nutritional aspects
  • 2.5 Exogenous manipulation

Chapter 3: The structure and growth of muscle

  • 3.1 The proportion of muscular tissue in sheep, cattle and pigs
  • 3.2 Structure
  • 3.3 The growth of normal muscle
  • 3.4 Abnormal growth and development in muscle

Chapter 4: Chemical and biochemical constitution of muscle

  • 4.1 General chemical aspects
  • 4.2 Biochemical aspects
  • 4.3 Factors reflected in specialized muscle function and constitution

Chapter 5: The conversion of muscle to meat

  • 5.1 Preslaughter handling
  • 5.2 Death of the animal
  • 5.3 General consequences of circulatory failure
  • 5.4 Conditioning (ageing)

Chapter 6: The spoilage of meat by infecting organisms

  • 6.1 Infection
  • 6.2 Symptoms of spoilage
  • 6.3 Factors affecting the growth of meat-spoilage micro-organisms
  • 6.4 Prophylaxis

Chapter 7: The storage and preservation of meat: I Temperature control

  • 7.1 Refrigeration
  • 7.2 Thermal processing

Chapter 8: The storage and preservation of meat: II Moisture control

  • 8.1 Dehydration
  • 8.2 Freeze dehydration
  • 8.3 Curing

Chapter 9: The storage and preservation of meat: III Direct microbial inhibition

  • 9.1 Ionizing radiation
  • 9.2 Antibiotics
  • 9.3 Chemical preservatives

Chapter 10: The eating quality of meat

  • 10.1 Colour
  • 10.2 Water-holding capacity and juiciness
  • 10.3 Texture and tenderness
  • 10.4 Odour and taste

Chapter 11: Meat and human nutrition

  • 11.1 Essential nutrients
  • 11.2 Toxins and residues
  • 11.3 Meat-eating and health

Chapter 12: Prefabricated meat

  • 12.1 Manipulation of conventional meat
  • 12.2 Non-meat sources
  • 12.3 Upgrading abattoir waste

Review quotes

"…it is a must read for university undergraduate and post-graduate meat/food science students and for meat and food scientists."—Meat Science

"A tremendous bibliography (approx. 2,500 references!), and very detailed subject index complete and increase the value of this extraordinary book."—Acta Alimentaria

"It should be at hand to everyone dealing with meat technology, or research, respectively."—Journal of Food and Nutrition Research

Product details

About the authors

RL

R. A. Lawrie

Ralston A. Lawrie was one of the world’s leading authorities on meat science. Formerly Emeritus Professor of Food Science in the University of Nottingham, he was also the founding editor of the journal Meat Science.
Affiliations and expertise
University of Nottingham, UK

DL

David Ledward

David A. Ledward is Emeritus Professor of Food Science at University of Reading and is the founding editor and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Meat Science.
Affiliations and expertise
University of Reading, UK

View book on ScienceDirect

Read Lawrie’s Meat Science on ScienceDirect