Pilot and demonstration activities

The research and technology developments are completed by applied research in pilot chains and demonstration activities. These are core elements in Q-PorkChains which focus on the involvement of the industry and especially on Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) in testing and demonstrating innovations and new technologies.

Addressing application oriented research on chain aspects together with mostly legally independent organisations is a major challenge of Q-PorkChains. A multitude of players from a variety of disciplines along pork chains have to be involved when preliminary results or demonstrated research findings are to be validated on a chain level.

Eight pilot chains and two demonstration chains act as real-world laboratories and integrate research with 'on the ground' validation.

Four pilot chains have been outlined. Starting in 2008, they will implement and validate first research results. The topics include:

• Pilot chain 1: Use of management tools based on Quality Management principles
  Business partners: EGO, Chainfood, Qualitype
  Research partner: University of Bonn
  Coordination: GIQS e.V. 
• Pilot chain 2: Improvement of the exchange and use of quality relevant information in a pork production chain
  Business partners: Group Glon, Chainfood
  Research partners: University of Bonn, Wageningen University
  Coordination: GIQS e.V.
• Pilot chain 3: Use of rapid methods (e.g. dipstick test for positive Acute Phase proteins) for animal health, animal welfare and food safety
  Business partner: PigChamp Pro
  Research partner: University of Bonn
  Coordination: GIQS e.V.
• Pilot chain 4: Evaluation of newly developed logistic concepts for a match of production systems and market segments
  Business partner: Vion Food Group
  Research partner: Wageningen University
  Coordination: GIQS e.V.

New industrial partner have been selected via a competitive call (Feb. - May 2009). Further four pilot and two demonstration chains will start their work in 2010. The new topics include:

• Pilot chain 5: Implementation of sustainability aspects in the quality pork programme of a regional chain
  Business partners: Landwirtschaftlicher Beratungsdienst Schwäbisch Hall, Bäuerliche Erzeugergemeinschaft Schwäbisch Hall
  Research partners: Newcastle University, L'institut national de la recherche agronomique
  Coordination: GIQS e.V. (Trans Border integrated Quality Assurance)
• Pilot chain 6: Developement of non invasive technologies for assessment of fat content in order to select good meat quality
  Business partners: Italcarni Societa Cooperativa Agricola, CRPA SPA (Centro ricerche produzioni animali s.p.a.), Stazione Sperimentale per l'industria delle conserve alimentari, Jamones Segovia S.A.
  Research partners: IRTA (institut de recerca i tecnologia agroalimentaries), University of Bolognia
  Coordination: GIQS e.V. (Trans Border integrated Quality Assurance)
• Pilot chain 7: Implementation of regional pork chain concepts and new pork product concepts
  Business partners: D. Didangelos Bors-N. Exarchos SA (IASON), D. Didangelos Bros El. Ar. Papasika LTD (CHIR), Didangelos Iason-Giannakas Andreas General Partnership (GEF), Bäuerliche Erzeugergemeinschaft Schwäbisch Hall
  Research partners: Agricultural University of Athens, University of Wageningen, Nofima AS
  Coordination: GIQS e.V. (Trans Border integrated Quality Assurance)
• Pilot chain 8: Implementation of cold chain management systems to improve quality and safety of pork products
  Business partners: Verdict-Logging Transport, Gesellschaft für Lebensmittelsicherheit
  Research partners: University of Wageningen, University of Bonn
  Coordination: GIQS e.V. (Trans Border integrated Quality Assurance)
• Demo 1: Demonstration of a concept for the harmonisation of veterinary findings in centralized databases
  Business partner: Hygiene-und Prüf-GmbH
  Research partner: University of Bonn
  Coordination: GIQS e.V. (Trans Border integratet Quality Assurance)
• Demo 2: Demonstration of biological markers as meat quality control tools
  Research partners: University of Aarhus, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Wageningen