Grassland-based products: quality and authentication

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.