Abstract Meat quality traits, such as intramuscular fat level, have a heritable component and are quantitative in nature, being influenced by many genes of variable individual effects. The identification of the genetic variation associated with meat quality is an important step towards the improvement of meat quality in livestock selection programmes and meat management systems. Functional genomic approaches relate the static information of variation in genomic regions and individual genes with the dynamic interplay of gene expression pathways and biological processes. Therefore, through the application of functional genomic tools, researchers are gaining deeper insights into the biological pathways underpinning meat quality. Knowledge gained from these approaches can be beneficial in defining and optimizing management systems for quality, providing assurance of meat quality and in tailoring quality to suit market needs.