Óscar López Campos, Ph.D.

Image Oscar Lopez Campos
Research Scientist

Since the first grading policies for pork in 1922, for beef in 1927, and for bison in the late 1950s, the Canadian grading systems have been continuously evolving as a means of classifying carcasses with similar attributes into similar classes or ‘‘grades’’. In Canada, quality and yield grades form the language for trade, facilitate marketing and production decisions, and ensure that consumers are able to purchase a predictable and consistent product. The objectivity of the grading systems is a fundamental pillar of carcass classification and the implementation of objective methods at the grading stand has been one of the main goals pursued by the Canadian Livestock Industry. In this sense, the major objectives of Dr. Óscar López Campos’ Livestock Carcass Merit and Market Competitiveness program are focused on identifying measuring, prioritizing and utilizing objective and subjective carcass merit and meat quality assessments and attributes of economic importance to promote development, adaptation and competitiveness of the whole meat value-chain in Canada.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
6000 C & E Trail Lacombe, Alberta, T4L 1W1

Current research and/or projects

Currently, Dr. López Campos value-chain approach to research into carcass and meat quality issues provides critical support for growth in complexity and competitiveness of the Meat Industry.

Research and/or project statements

  • Development of yield prediction tools to optimize carcass cut-out value.
  • Developing a Canadian Total Quality Management System for Beef Processing.
  • Beef Quality Canada’s National Beef Quality Audit at Retail and Processing.
  • Evaluating the Canadian beef grading ruler to predict USDA five yield grades based on a modified yield percentage matrix.
  • Classifying Canadian pork based on quality attributes.

Professional activities / interests

  • Carcass Merit and Market Competitiveness.

  • Carcass classification (beef, bison, veal, pork and sheep).

  • Grading systems (beef, bison, veal and sheep).

  • Meat Quality.

Education and awards

  • 2007 - Ph.D. in Animal Production. University of León (Spain).
  • 2004 - Master in Veterinary. University of León (Spain).
  • 2003 - Master in Pedagogical Aptitude Certificate. University of León (Spain).
  • 2002 - B.Sc. Biology. University of León (Spain).

International experience and/or work

  • 2015 - present: Carcass Merit and Market Competitiveness Research Scientist. Lacombe Research and Development Centre, Agricultural and Agri-Food Canada.

  • 2012 – 2015: Research Associate on Carcass Classification and Grading with Livestock Gentec, University of Alberta (Canada).

  • 2009 - 2012: Post-doctoral Researcher thorough the NSERC Visiting Fellowship in Canadian Government Laboratories Program. Meat Research team at Lacombe Research and Development Centre, Agricultural and Agri-Food Canada.

  • 2006 - 2009: Biologist for research and laboratories at the Mountain Cattle Institute of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

  • 2003 - 2006: Pre-doctoral Fellow at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC - ULE).

 

Key publications

  1. Lopez Campos, O., Prieto, N., Juarez, M., Dugan, M.E.R., and Aalhus, J. 2016. Advancing technology development for beef total quality management. Prairie Post - Bull Breeders (February).

    2016 - View publication details

  2. Ó. López-Campos, I. Larsen, N. Prieto, M. Juárez, M.E.R. Dugan, J.L. Aalhus, Evaluation of total and saleable meat yield prediction equations in beef, Meat Science, Volume 112, 2016, Page 180, ISSN 0309-1740, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2015.08.190.
    (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0309174015003290)

    2016 - View publication details

  3. O.P. Soladoye, Ó. López Campos, J.L. Aalhus, N. Prieto, C. Gariépy, P.J. Shand, M. Juárez, Evaluating the accuracy of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in predicting carcass composition from varying pig populations, Meat Science, Volume 112, 2016, Page 185, ISSN 0309-1740, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2015.08.195.
    (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0309174015003344)

    2016 - View publication details

  4. Prieto, N.; López-Campos, Ó.; Uttaro, B. and Aalhus, J.L. Meat Quality of Dark Cutters is Complex. Bull Breeders. Ed. Prairie Post. February (2016), pp A17.

    2016 - View publication details

  5. Prieto, N., Juárez, M., Zijlstra, R.T., López-Campos, O., Aalhus, J.L. (2015). Rapid authentication of enhanced quality pork by visible and near infrared spectroscopy, 99 149. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.07.010

    2015 - View publication details

  6. Galbraith, J., Rodas-González, A., López-Campos, Ó., Juárez, M., Aalhus, J. (2014). Bison meat: Characteristics, challenges, and opportunities, 4(4), 68-73. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/af.2014-0036

    2014 - View publication details

  7. López-Campos, O., Aalhus, J.L., Prieto, N., Larsen, I.L., Juárez, M., Basarab, J.A. (2014). Effects of production system and growth promotants on the physiological maturity scores in steers, 94(4), 607-617. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/CJAS-2014-022

    2014 - View publication details

  8. Prieto, N., López-Campos, O., Zijlstra, R.T., Uttaro, B., Aalhus, J.L. (2014). Discrimination of beef dark cutters using visible and near infrared reflectance spectroscopy, 94(3), 445-454. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/CJAS-2014-024

    2014 - View publication details

  9. Yang, X., Youssef, M.K., Gill, C.O., Badoni, M., López-Campos, O. (2014). Effects of meat pH on growth of 11 species of psychrotolerant clostridia on vacuum packaged beef and blown pack spoilage of the product. Food Microbiology, [online] 39 13-18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2013.10.008

    2014 - View publication details

  10. Prieto, N., López-Campos, O., Aalhus, J.L., Dugan, M.E.R., Juárez, M., Uttaro, B. (2014). Use of near infrared spectroscopy for estimating meat chemical composition, quality traits and fatty acid content from cattle fed sunflower or flaxseed, 98(2), 279-288. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.06.005

    2014 - View publication details

  11. Holdstock, J., Aalhus, J.L., Uttaro, B.A., López-Campos, O., Larsen, I.L., Bruce, H.L. (2014). The impact of ultimate pH on muscle characteristics and sensory attributes of the longissimus thoracis within the dark cutting (Canada B4) beef carcass grade. Meat Science, [online] 98(4), 842-849. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.07.029

    2014 - View publication details

  12. López-Campos, O., Aalhus, J.L., Galbraith, J., Larsen, I.L., Juárez, M., Uttaro, B., Robertson, W.M. (2014). The relation of carcass physiological maturity to meat quality in the Canadian Bison Grading System, 94(1), 55-62. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/CJAS2013-047

    2014 - View publication details

  13. Mapiye, C., Aalhus, J.L., Turner, T.D., Rolland, D.C., Basarab, J.A., Baron, V.S., McAllister, T.A., Block, H.C., Uttaro, B., Lopez-Campos, O., Proctor, S.D., Dugan, M.E.R. (2013). Effects of feeding flaxseed or sunflower-seed in high-forage diets on beef production, quality and fatty acid composition. Meat Science, [online] 95(1), 98-109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2013.03.033

    2013 - View publication details

  14. Prieto, N., Dugan, M.E.R., López-Campos, O., Aalhus, J.L., Uttaro, B. (2013). At line prediction of PUFA and biohydrogenation intermediates in perirenal and subcutaneous fat from cattle fed sunflower or flaxseed by near infrared spectroscopy, 94(1), 27-33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2012.12.014

    2013 - View publication details

  15. Prieto, N., Bodas, R., López-Campos, O., Andrés, S., López, S., Giráldez, F.J. (2013). Effect of sunflower oil supplementation and milking frequency reduction on sheep milk production and composition, 91(1), 446-454. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas.2012-5187

    2013 - View publication details

  16. López-Campos, O., Aalhus, J.L., Okine, E.K., Baron, V.S., Basarab, J.A. (2013). Effects of calf- and yearling-fed beef production systems and growth promotants on production and profitability, 93(1), 171-184. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/CJAS2012-035

    2013 - View publication details

  17. López-Campos, O., Basarab, J.A., Baron, V.S., Aalhus, J.L., Juárez, M. (2012). Reduced age at slaughter in youthful beef cattle: Effects on carcass merit traits, 92(4), 449-463. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/CJAS2012-014

    2012 - View publication details

  18. Basarab, J., Baron, V., López-Campos, O., Aalhus, J., Haugen-Kozyra, K., Okine, E. (2012). Greenhouse gas emissions from calf- and yearling-fed beef production systems, with and without the use of growth promotants, 2(2), 195-220. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani2020195

    2012 - View publication details

  19. Prieto, N., Dugan, M.E.R., López-Campos, O., McAllister, T.A., Aalhus, J.L., Uttaro, B. (2012). Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy predicts the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and biohydrogenation products in the subcutaneous fat of beef cows fed flaxseed. Meat Science, [online] 90(1), 43-51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2011.05.025

    2012 - View publication details

  20. Aldai, N., Dugan, M.E.R., Kramer, J.K.G., Martínez, A., López-Campos, O., Mantecón, A.R., Osoro, K. (2011). Length of concentrate finishing affects the fatty acid composition of grass-fed and genetically lean beef: An emphasis on trans-18:1 and conjugated linoleic acid profiles. Animal, [online] 5(10), 1643-1652. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1751731111000607

    2011 - View publication details

Contact

Research facility

Lacombe Research and Development Centre
6000 C and E Trail
Lacombe, AB T4L 1W1
Canada

Expertise

Agriculture›Agri-Food
Agriculture›Beef
Agriculture›Carcass grading›Pork carcass quality
Agriculture›Food Science›Food biochemistry
Agriculture›Meat science
Animals›Production
Food›Agriculture

Affiliations

  • Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, Adjunct Professor.
  • Canadian Journal of Animal Science, Associate Editor.
  • Canadian Meat Science Association (CMSA), Secretary Treasurer.

Language

English

Other languages

Spanish