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 . Potatoes are likely to suffer far more from blight , which rots the tubers and makes them inedible . 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 . '
Report by University of Melbourne suggests that many foods are under threat . It says that heatwaves will cause animals like cattle to suffer heat waves . 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 flavor and take on an unpleasant texture . Milk yields will decrease by 10 - 25 per cent during heat waves , report warns . Protein levels in milk may also fall meaning cheese will decline in milk .