Historical and Current Perspectives on Organic Meat Production

The public concerns about the environment and the chemicals used in food production have made consumers more sensitive to the potential ecological problems associated with synthetic chemicals used in farming. This has resulted in a growing interest in the production of organic foods. Based on the growth of market demand, organic foods have become much more precisely defined as a regulatory entity, and now these food products often carry an organic label when sold at retail establishments. However, there is still some confusion among consumers about the different organic labels, and some of those reasons are discussed here. In addition to covering the development of organic foods and meats and current perceptions, this chapter also discusses the specific objectives on organic meat production and processing, which is the subject of this book.