Climate change will make food TASTE bad: Global warming will lead to tougher meat and flavourless carrots, study claims
- Report by University of Melbourne warns that many foods are under threat
- It says that heatwaves will cause livestock like cattle to suffer heat stress
- Beef and pork likely to become tougher while chicken will become stringer
- Onions and beetroot crops are likely to produce smaller sized vegetables
- Carrots will lose their distinctive flavour and take on an unpleasant texture
- Milk yields can decrease by 10-25 per cent during heat waves, report warns
- Protein levels in milk may also fall meaning cheese will decline in quality
For those hoping global warming will bring more opportunities for a summer barbecue, there may be disappointment ahead - climate change is likely to make steaks and burgers far less appetising.
In a major report on the impact of global warming on food, scientists have concluded that the quality of many meats and vegetables is due to decline at temperatures increase.
The researchers predict that as heatwaves become more common, steaks and other meats are likely to become stringier and tougher - putting the traditional barbecue at risk.
Beefburgers, like those above, could become far less appetising option on future BBQ's due to climate change
Popular vegetables like carrots are also likely to become less flavoursome and have a less pleasant texture.
Marine biologists have found that shellfish take on a sour flavour if they are reared in slightly acidified sea water.
They warn that as the planet's oceans grow more acidic, due to rising carbon dioxide levels, many of our favourite seafoods could become less appetising.
Climate change experts predict that over the next century, the acidity levels of the world's oceans could drop from pH8 to pH7.5.
Many have warned this could lead to shrimps and prawns struggling to build the shells and skeletons they need to survive.
Now, in the first study to test how ocean acidification could impact on the taste of seafood, researchers at the University of Gothenberg and Plymouth University, found it will also affect their taste.
Shrimp raised in the water with a lower pH were 2.6 times more likely to be rated as the worst tasting, while those reared in the less acidic water were 3.4 times more likely to be judged the tastiest.
Onions could get smaller if temperatures early in the season increase while fruit and nut trees in some regions may not get cold enough to signal fruit development.
The report, produced by scientists at the Univeristy of Melbourne, also warned that milk yeilds could decrease by up to 10-25 per cent as heatwaves grow more common.
Lower levels of grain production could also hit dairy cattle, meaning their milk contains less protein, which would result in poorer quality cheese.
Professor Richard Eckard, director of the pirmary industries climate challenges centre at the University of Melbourne, said: 'It’s definitely a wake up call when you hear that the toast and raspberry jam you have for breakfast, for example, might not be as readily available in 50 years time.
'Or that there may be changes to the cost and taste of food items we love and take for granted like avocado and vegemite, spaghetti bolognaise and even beer, wine and chocolate.
'It makes you appreciate that global warming is not a distant phenomenon but a very real occurrence that is already affecting the things we enjoy in our everyday lives, including the most common of foods we eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.'
The scientists assessed the impact of the changing climate on 55 foods grown in Australia and other parts of the world.
It predicted that as weather conditions get warmer, with heatwaves and other extreme events increasing in frequency, agricultural production will be hit hard.
Avocados will grow less plump and trees will carry less of the fruit as temperatures increase, the report warns
The cost of apples could rise as farmers try to combat damage from extreme temperatures on fruits like apples by using shade cloths.
Heat stress will have a particular impact on meat production with cattle and chickens suffering in higher temperatures and affecting their appetite.
This will mean meat is likely to be be tougher and more stingy.
Pigs could have particular problems in the heat as they do not possess sweat glands.
Avocados are also likely to get smaller in warmer temperatures as the plants get stressed while the trees themselves will flower far less.
Dairy cows produce 10-25 per cent less milk in heat waves and their amount of protein in milk can also decline
Temperatures above 27 degrees can cause beetroot flowering stems to grow early and result in smaller bulbs, while the vegetable can also lose some of its distinctive red colouring in warmer temperatures.
Professor David Karoly, an atmospheric scientists at the University of Melbourne and one of the co-authors of the report, said countries like Australia, where drought is already a major problem, are likely to be worse hit.
He said: 'Global warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves and bushfires affecting farms across southern and eastern Australia, and this will get much worse in the future if we don’t act.
'It’s a daunting thought when you consider that Australian farms produce 93% of the food we eat.'
Read more:
sustainable.unim...
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2994566/Climate-change-make-steak-worse.html#ixzz3VEAgxmDP
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Comments