** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** LOCAL LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS CONTINUE TO ENCOUNTER A LACK OF LOCAL SLAUGHTER CAPACITY AND HIGH COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROCESSING SERVICES OF LOCAL MEAT PROCESSORS AS MAJOR HURDLES TO MEET THE GROWING DEMAND OF LOCALLY-SOURCED MEAT PRODUCTS. LIMITED PROCESSING FACILITIES AND CAPABILITIES, SUCH AS SMALL SIZE CARCASS COOLER AND STORAGE UNITS, DIRECTLY INFLUENCE THE HIGH COST FOR PROCESSING SERVICE OF LOCAL MEATS. ALSO, PROVIDING CONSISTENTLY HIGH QUALITY AND WHOLESOME MEAT PRODUCTS TO LOCAL CONSUMERS IS CRUCIAL TO THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF THE LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL MEAT SECTORS. NUMEROUS STUDIES HAVE REPORTED THAT CONSUMERS ARE WILLING TO PAY PREMIUMS FOR MEAT PRODUCTS WITH GUARANTEED EATING QUALITY. CONSUMERS WHO SHOP IN THE LOCAL MARKET GENERALLY HAVE A HIGH OF EXPECTATION OF LOCAL MEAT PRODUCTS FOR PRODUCTION-TYPE RELATED ATTRIBUTES (I.E. CERTIFIED ORGANIC, GRASS-FED, AND/OR NATURAL) AND/OR SUPERIOR EATING QUALITY DIFFERENCES. FAILURE TO MEET THIS EXPECTATION DUE TO QUALITY-RELATEDISSUES WILL ERODE CONSUMER SATISFACTION, AND SUBSEQUENTLY REDUCE PROFITS FOR SMALL/LOCAL PROCESSORS OVER TIME. THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF OUR RESEARCH PROGRAM IS TO ESTABLISH NOVEL POST-HARVEST PROCESSING SYSTEMS THAT CAN BE EASILY APPLIED TO IMPROVE BEEF QUALITY ATTRIBUTES AND THUS FOSTER THE PROFITABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE LOCAL MEAT SECTORS. OUR CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT, THROUGH APPLICATION OF NOVEL CHEMO-MECHANICAL PROCESS, THE PALATABILITY ATTRIBUTES OF MEAT WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED BY WEAKENING OF THE MUSCLE STRUCTURE AND CELLULAR DISRUPTION. WE WILL ACCOMPLISH OUR OVERALL OBJECTIVE BY ADDRESSING THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL FIRST IDENTIFY OPTIMAL CHEMO-MECHANICAL PROCESSING REGIMEN AND DOCUMENT THEIR IMPACTS ON EATING QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF DIFFERENT BEEF SUBPRIMALS. NEXT, WE WILL DEVELOP AI-DRIVEN PREDICTION MODEL TO IMPLEMENT THE CHEMO-MECHANICS MANUFACTURING OF VARIOUS BEEF PRODUCTS FOR APPLICATION OF THESE FINDINGS ACROSS MEAT PROCESSORS. FINALLY, WE WILL EVALUATE THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF APPLICATION OF CHEMO-MECHANICAL PROCESSING ON LOCAL SMALL/MID-SIZE MEAT PROCESSORS THROUGH COST-BENEFIT ANALYSES. THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH CAN BE EXPECTED TO LEAD TO NEW AVENUES OF UNDERSTANDING AND APPLICABLE TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN BE USED TO IMPROVE MEAT QUALITY ATTRIBUTES AS WELL AS TO ENHANCE THE OVERALL VALUE OF UNDER-UTILIZED/UNDER-VALUED FRESH BEEF. FURTHER, IT WILL RESULT IN A CONSIDERABLE COST REDUCTION FOR THE LOCAL MEAT PROCESSORS THROUGH ACCELERATED PROCESSING THROUGHPUT. THIS WILL, IN TURN, SIGNIFICANTLY AND POSITIVELY IMPACT THE PROFITABILITY OF THE SMALL-SCALE MEAT PROCESSORS BY INCREASING CONSUMER CONFIDENCE IN IMPROVED MEAT QUALITY AND COMPETITIVE COSTS.