Le rôle des fourrages dans la qualité des produits animaux : comment répondre aux attentes du consommateur ? (Session n°3)

The role of forages in the quality of animal products : how are to be met the expectations of consumers ? (Session n°3)

This is a synthetical and critical presentation of the papers of the session n°3 of the European Grassland Congress (La Rochelle, 27-30 May 2002).
Research work on the relationships between the feeding of ruminants and the organoleptic and nutritional qualities of the animal products (meat, milk, butter, cheese) has been developing these recent years. The first objective was to meet the requirements of the AOC industry (cheese), but now are also included the effects on human health. The kind of basic diet (whether maize, silage or grazed herbage) has a significant effect on the colour and flavour of the dairy and meat products ; as regards milk, it seems that some specific fatty acids, especially rumenic acid, are of particular interest. In most cases, the organoleptic and nutritional characteristics are superior when the feeding is based on herbage, especially that of grazed pastures with a high bio-diversity, a circumstance coinciding with the customers' expectations. Innovating studies based on the identification of characteristics directly linked to the forages have been described ; they also correspond to the wishes of the consumers for a better transparency and traceability in animal production.