• Reviews advances in understanding how breeding and growth affects the development of quality attributes such as fat content and tenderness;
• Summarises recent research on how management of cattle and carcass handling affects sensory properties;
• Discusses current research on measuring and optimising quality traits such as colour, flavour and tenderness
  

Part 1 Breeding and growth
1.Biological types of cattle: carcass and meat quality: M. A. Price, University of Alberta, Canada;
2.Traditional animal breeding of cattle to improve carcass composition and meat quality: Matt Spangler, University of Nebraska, USA;
3.Muscle fibre types and beef quality: Thierry Astruc and Annie Vénien, INRA, France;
4.Factors affecting fat content and distribution of fat in cattle and carcasses: Stephen B. Smith, Texas A&M University, USA;

Part 2 Management of cattle
5.Beef cattle nutrition and its effects on beef quality: Christopher J. Richards, Oklahoma State University, USA and and Michael E. Dikeman, Kansas State University, USA;
6.Effects of metabolic modifiers on beef carcass composition and meat quality: John M. Gonzalez, Sara M. Ebarb, Kelsey J. Phelps and Michael E. Dikeman, Kansas State University, USA;
7.Understanding the effects of handling, transportation, lairage and slaughter on cattle welfare and beef quality: Michael S. Cockram, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada;
8.The effects of carcass chilling and electrical stimulation on visual beef quality and palatability: Phillip E. Strydom, Agricultural Research Council and University of Stellenbosch, South Africa;

Part 3 Quality traits
9.Beef colour development and variation: Ranjith Ramanathan, Oklahoma State University, USA and Richard A. Mancini, University of Connecticut, USA;
10.Beef carcass grading and classification: Michael E. Dikeman, Kansas State University, USA;
11.Branded beef programmes: B. N. Harsh and D. D. Boler, University of Illinois, USA;
12.Ageing, physical and chemical methods for improving tenderness and palatability of beef: D. L. Hopkins, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Centre for Red Meat and Sheep Development, Australia;
13.Factors affecting flavour development in beef: Chris R. Kerth, Texas A&M University, USA;
14.Packaging systems for beef retailers and their effects on visual quality and palatability: J. W. S. Yancey, University of Arkansas, USA;
15.Measuring and assessing beef quality and sensory traits for retailers and consumers: Derek A. Griffing and Christy L. Bratcher, Auburn University, USA;
16.The role of beef in human nutrition and health: Chunbao Li, Nanjing Agricultural University, China;

Part 4 Emerging trends
17.The future of DNA technologies for improving beef quality: marbling, fatty acid composition and tenderness: Elly Ana Navajas, Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Uruguay;
18.The sustainability and ‘carbon footprints’ of conventional and alternative beef production systems: Jude L. Capper, Livestock Sustainability Consultancy, UK;
19.Controversies surrounding the impact of the fat content of beef on human health: Jennifer Fleming and Penny Kris-Etherton, Penn State University, USA;