On July 16, 2026, Prof. Massimiliano Petracci from the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences of the Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna presented results from the H2020 INTAQT project during the “Meat Processing Technology II” session of the 27th World’s Poultry Congress, held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Canada.

The oral contribution, entitled “Breast meat quality as affected by major European farming systems varying in intensification level: Insights from the H2020 INTAQT project” (Abstract No. 4141), focused on the effects of major European chicken farming systems on breast meat quality traits.

Within INTAQT, 18 farming systems from five European countries were examined using real commercial samples. The systems were classified a posteriori along an intensification gradient based on key production descriptors, including genotype and growth rate, outdoor access, market category, and slaughter weight. This approach allowed the project to compare a wide range of European poultry production systems under a common analytical framework.

The results showed that breast meat quality differed among farming systems, mainly as a consequence of the combined effects of genotype, growth rate, outdoor access, slaughter age, and slaughter weight. Fast-growing and heavier birds showed higher Pectoralis major weight and yield, confirming the productive advantage of more intensive systems. However, this was accompanied by quality-related trade-offs, including changes in nutritional composition and reduced water-holding capacity during storage and processing.

The presentation highlighted that technological vulnerabilities differed across the intensification gradient. Intensive and heavier systems were mainly associated with greater drip and cooking losses, whereas more extensive systems tended to show greater susceptibility to lipid oxidation. Differences were also observed in ultimate pH, lightness, chemical composition, histidine dipeptides, heme iron, and sensory traits.

Sensory quality was also affected by farming system. In particular, differences among systems were mainly related to texture-related attributes, with faster-growing indoor systems generally perceived as more tender and less fibrous than slower-growing outdoor systems. These findings underline that meat quality is not determined by a single production factor, but by the interaction of several characteristics of the farming system.

The study represents one of the first comprehensive European-scale assessments of chicken meat quality based on real samples from commercial farming systems covering a broad range of intensification levels. It therefore provides a unique overview of how different production models may influence the intrinsic quality of poultry meat.

The research contributes to the broader objectives of INTAQT and to its “One Quality” approach, which integrates intrinsic product quality with animal welfare, environmental sustainability, production practices, and consumer expectations. Ongoing work within the project is now translating real-farm quality data into operational tools for assessing, comparing, and improving European poultry production systems. This includes multivariate analyses, modelling of farming practices, the development of multi-criteria assessment grids, and web-based tools for quality assessment, product authentication, system comparison, and data valorisation.

The presentation delivered at the World’s Poultry Congress provided an important opportunity to disseminate INTAQT results to an international audience of poultry scientists, industry representatives, and stakeholders. It also contributed to the scientific discussion on how evidence-based information can support more sustainable, transparent, and quality-oriented European poultry production systems.