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Carcase Objective Measurement Early Adoption Projects

 

 

Overview

To assist drive the adoption of objective measurement carcase technologies the MLA OM program sought co-investment proposals from businesses seeking to trial and adopt emerging objective carcase technologies. Applications from MSA registered supply chains were viewed favourably. It was acknowledged that some technologies had not achieved AUS-MEAT accreditation. The opportunity was open to all technologies for businesses to test and trial integration of developing equipment, integration of software to enable MSA grading outputs from these technologies to plant systems.

At the time there were no protocols for the adoption, implementation and integration of new objective measurement technologies into processor business operational and feedback systems.  An early adoption process was deemed necessary to drive the adoption of OM technologies for Australian red meat producers & processors.  An open call process attracting various partners across several OM technologies at various stages of development and validation provided an opportunity to engage both the users (processors) and providers.

The open call process was extremely successful with 12 different supply chains covering over 30 processing plants trialing 7 different technologies across 14 standalone projects. The findings of each are summarised below.

Core Activites

Each project was required to consider and design a program of work around the following:

  • Integration of the selected technology into business workflows and business data management systems, including feedback to producers.
  • How the technology will improve carcase grading and benefits that may be applied to procurement, production and marketing decision making.
  • The project will require a comprehensive Final Report that captures the lessons learnt, including challenges encountered and solutions identified to improve opportunities for future adopters.

Benefits to Industry

The primary benefit to the broader industry of the carcase OM early adoption projects was the production of a number of case studies on the implementation and integration of OM technologies which will provide other beef and lamb processors a roadmap to enhance further adoption through addressing the current lack of knowledge of the requirements for implementation and integration of new OM solutions into business systems.

Other benefits as a result of the work include but are not limited to:

  • Ability to grade more carcasses more efficiently with less labour and less cost
  • Improve the transparency of the grading process to the producer
  • Improve livestock selection to better meet brand and/or product specification
  • Improved Data analysis
  • The ability to deliver accurate and consistent feedback on carcase traits back to the producer.
  • Assists with the labour shortages being experienced in the Australian beef & lamb processing industry
  • Reduces costs within the Australian processing industry
  • Increase value and knowledge of branded product categories with flow through up and down the supply chain.
  • Ensure consistent grading results to provide the most accurate supply chain feedback. This will drive producer engagement with brand specs and improve genetic gain.

 

Projects

Evaluating the implementation and early adoption of Frontmatec technology for integration in beef grading

Project Code: P.PSH.1360

Objective: The overall objective of the project is to deliver an early adoption and evaluation of the Frontmatec handheld grading camera to measure ribeye grading characteristics in beef. This project’s primary objective is to ensure consistent grading results to provide the most accurate supply chain feedback. This will drive producer engagement with brand specifications and improve genetic gain.

Date published: 06 May 2024

Masterbeef App development to enable data integration into Red Meat processor systems

Project Code: P.PSH.1362

Objective: The primary aim of this project is to finalise the design, implement and test the integration of the Masterbeef App into the JBS Northern division processing facilities local and cloud based IT systems. 

Date published: 09 July 2024

MEQ Sheep Probe early adoption of hot carcase IMF measurement

Project Code: P.PSH.1364

Objective: ​​The overall objective of the project is to deliver an early adoption and evaluation of the MEQ lamb probe to measure hot lamb carcase marble to improve accuracy and consistency compared to current visual grading methods.  This project’s primary objective is to ensure consistent grading results to provide the most accurate supply chain feedback. This will drive producer engagement with brand specifications and improve genetic gain. 

Date published:  15 May 2024  

Development of a portable E+V objective measurement technology for Australia red meat processors

Project Code: P.PSH.1365

Objective: The overall objective of the project is to deliver an early adoption and evaluation of an application for the portal E+V device to measure ribeye grading characteristics in beef to improve accuracy and consistency compared to current visual grading methods. This project’s primary objective is to ensure consistent grading results to provide the most accurate supply chain feedback. This will drive producer engagement with brand specifications and improve genetic gain. 

Date published:  15 May 2024  

MEQ Beef Probe early adoption of hot carcase marble measure

Project Code: P.PSH.1367

Objective: The overall objective of the project is to deliver an early adoption and evaluation of the MEQ beef probe to measure hot beef carcase marble score to improve accuracy and consistency compared to current visual grading methods. This project’s primary objective is to ensure consistent grading results to provide the most accurate supply chain feedback. This will drive producer engagement with brand specifications and improve genetic gain. 

Date published:  08 May 2024  

Utilising the VIAscan OM grading solution to provide objective carcase measurement

Project Code: P.PIP.0593

Objective: The overall project objective is to deliver an early adoption and evaluation of the VIAscan grading camera to measure beef ribeye grading characteristics with improved accuracy and consistency compared to current manual grading systems

Date published:  15 May 2024  

Early adoption and evaluation of Masterbeef objective measurement technology

Project Code: P.PIP.0594

Objective: The overall objective of the project is to test the commercial viability of the Masterbeef handheld camera to measure ribeye grading characteristics in beef. This project’s primary objective is to ensure consistent grading results to provide the most accurate supply chain feedback. This will drive producer engagement with brand specs and improve genetic gain.

Date published: 26 April 2024  

Supply chain integration and processor testing of the MIJ-30 beef ribeye grading camera

Project Code: P.PSH.1369

Objective: The overall objective of the project is to deliver an early adoption and evaluation of the Meat Image Japan (MIJ) handheld camera to measure ribeye grading characteristics in beef. This project’s primary objective is to ensure consistent grading results to provide the most accurate supply chain feedback. This will drive producer engagement with brand specs and improve genetic gain.

Date published: 01 March 2024  

Development and validation of MIJ Mobile beef ribeye grading camera App to enable data integration into red meat processor systems

Project Code: P.PSH.1377

Objective: The primary objective of this project is to finalise the design, implement and test the integration of the MIJ-30 Mobile application (App) into AACo’s operational protocols and cloud-based IT systems. 

Date published: 29 January 2024  

Early adoption and integration of hot carcase marble measurement and mobile solution in beef processing

Project Code: P.PSH.1397

Objective: The overall objective of the project is to deliver an early adoption and evaluation of the MEQ beef probe to measure hot beef carcase marble score to improve accuracy and consistency compared to current visual grading methods. ​This project’s primary objective is to ensure consistent grading results to provide the most accurate supply chain feedback. This will drive producer engagement with brand specifications and improve genetic gain. 

Date published: 29 January 2024  

Early adoption and integration of hot carcase marble measurement in beef processing

Project Code: P.PSH.1427

Objective: Early adoption and integration of hot carcase marble measurement in beef processing. ​This project’s primary objective is to ensure consistent grading results to provide the most accurate supply chain feedback. This will drive producer engagement with brand specifications and improve genetic gain.

Date published:  08 May 2024  

Early adoption and integration of hot carcase IMF measurement in lamb processing

Project Code: P.PSH.1452

Objective: The overall objective of the project is to deliver an early adoption and evaluation of the MEQ lamb probe to measure hot lamb carcase IMF to improve accuracy and consistency compared to current visual grading methods.  This project’s primary objective is to ensure consistent grading results to provide the most accurate supply chain feedback. This will drive producer engagement with brand specifications and improve genetic gain. 

Status: In Progress

TEYS Beef E+V Carcase LMY Grading – Install camera for LMY prediction

Project Code: P.PIP.0576  

Objective: This project will evaluate the accuracy of the LMY prediction using an E+V yield camera when compared with a full side DEXA (verified by CT scan).  The system will provide a platform to develop a LMY measurement algorithm and a producer feedback scheme, potentially for smaller processors that may be significantly cheaper than DEXA to install.

Status: In Progress

Development of beef LMY prediction using E+V hot & cold carcase grading cameras

Project Code: P.PIP.5015  

Objective: Lean Meat Yield is a key component of carcase value and a key focus of MLA’s objective measurement program.  This project seeks to develop algorithms to predict beef carcase, primal and retail cut yields through whole-body and quarter-site cut surface camera  

Status: In Progress