Impact of production systems and feeding strategies on milk, meat and egg production: Nutritional status, food safety and preservative aspects.

Milk, meat, and eggs are essential components of human diets, providing high-quality nutrients such as protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds. The nutritional quality, safety, and shelf life of these animal-derived foods are strongly influenced by livestock production systems and feeding strategies. This chapter examines how different production models, including extensive grazing and intensive feeding systems, and emerging sustainable approaches such as agroecological, regenerative, and circular agriculture shape the nutrient composition, quality and safety of animal products. Global feeding strategies used in animal production are discussed, with emphasis on green forage versus hay and grain feeding in sheep, silage versus total mixed ration systems in dairy cattle, and cut-and-carry feeding compared with crop residues, grains, and agro-industrial by-products in goats. The chapter highlights the impact of these practices on the nutritional composition of milk, meat, and eggs, including fatty acid profiles, protein quality, micronutrients, carotenoids, antioxidants, and other bioactive compounds. Key food safety concerns associated with production systems and feeds, such as pathogen contamination, mycotoxins, chemical residues, and microbiological hazards, are addressed. In addition, shelf-life and preservative aspects are explored, focusing on lipid oxidation, spoilage microbiota, feed-based biofortification, natural preservatives, packaging interactions, and post-harvest handling.