Grassland-based products: quality and authentication
Résumé
There is increased consumer demand for food products with a perceived positive image. Product quality
can be assessed in terms of food safety, nutritional composition, technological and sensory characteristics
and ethics. In order to summarise the current knowledge linking quality traits and management practices,
a literature review was performed in relation to seven types of management practice: four concerning
animal feeding, one concerning breeds and two concerning ethical aspects of the production, and
information is presented as seven tables. Literature on use of authentication and traceability for marketed
grassland-based products is summarised in a further five tables. Scientific evidence of the differentiation
of grassland-based products is currently consolidating, but some practices lead to uncertain results and
deserve further research. Authentication is possible but is used to a relatively small extent because of
high costs or the lack of analytical techniques suitable for routine use. Marketing appears to be successful
without authentication, but this may lead to product counterfeiting. Research and development should
be targeted to find viable low-cost solutions to introduce authentication practices to safeguard the added
value of grassland-based products and ensure fair remuneration for producers.
