Processing technology changes in the Australian sheep meat industry: an overview

2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 399 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Hopkins
Keyword(s):  
Short Pulse ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Meat Industry ◽  
Export Markets ◽  
Research Investment ◽  
Technology Changes ◽  
Retail Prices ◽  
Australian Sheep ◽  
New Methodologies

Over the last 20 years the Australian sheep industry, particularly the lamb meat sector, has undergone a major change in focus such that consumer requirements are a paramount determinant for production and processing developments. As a result automatic accurate methods of measuring carcasses for traits like fatness and meat yield have been important to aid a reduction by industry in carcass fat levels in line with domestic and international consumer demand. This occurred while carcass weight increased due to a range of genetic and production factors implemented on-farm. Further to this in the last 5–7 years there has been a dramatic increase in the adoption of electrical technologies based on new methodologies with a shift in focus onto eating quality. Underlying this new approach was the electrical stimulation of individual carcasses on segmented electrodes in a dose-responsive way with electricity that has short pulse widths and low to medium voltages and is thus much safer than the original high voltage systems. This technology allowed stimulation units to be fitted into abattoirs where this was not previously possible and validation showed that the technology could reduce toughness in lamb destined for the domestic market and some export markets. More recent technology to stretch and shape cuts shows promise for improving both the quality and product range from sheep and lamb carcasses. The industry continues to focus on meat quality and has shown a significant increase in exports, while maintaining per-capita domestic consumption at record retail prices. This indicates an industry where research investment across the board has shown significant returns.

Some important changes in the Australian sheep meat processing industry

2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 752 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Hopkins ◽  
E. S. Toohey ◽  
K. L. Pearce ◽  
I. Richards
Keyword(s):  
Short Pulse ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Improve Product Quality ◽  
Meat Processing ◽  
Processing Industry ◽  
Electrical Currents ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Australian Sheep

In the last 5 years there has been a dramatic increase in the adoption in the Australian sheep meat processing industry of electrical technologies designed to streamline processing and improve product quality. Part of this change was initiated by an Australia-wide audit of lamb tenderness in 1997–98 and the development of a program to establish an eating quality scheme for sheep meat across Australia. Critically, these initiatives coincided with the development of new ways of administering electrical currents to either bodies or carcasses. Underlying this new approach is the electrocution of carcasses individually on segmented electrodes in a dose responsive way with electricity that has short pulse widths and lower voltages. This paper documents the pivotal factors which have contributed to this level of industry adoption and which has seen 14 abattoirs install the new technology. Of these abattoirs only one previously had any form of stimulation and these abattoirs represent more than 70% of the throughput of sheep and lambs on a tonnage basis per year in Australia.

Quantifying the rate of pH and temperature decline in lamb carcasses using medium voltage electrical stimulation in an Australian abattoir

2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 869 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. Pearce ◽  
D. L. Hopkins ◽  
E. Toohey ◽  
D. W. Pethick ◽  
I. Richards
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Pulse Width ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Medium Voltage ◽  
Initial Ph ◽  
Australian Sheep ◽  
Temperature Window ◽  
Late Application ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
The Individual

The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a medium voltage post-dressing electrical stimulation unit at different current and pulse width settings on pH decline. The objective was to optimise these settings to ensure that a high proportion of carcasses would reach pH 6.0 when the carcass was between 18–25°C according to the guidelines set by the Australian Sheep Meat Eating Quality (SMEQ) program. In the first experiment, 3 different current (400, 700 and 1000 mA) and pulse width (1, 2.5 and 5 ms) settings plus a control (0 mA and 0 ms) were applied to carcasses for 34 s at a frequency of 15 Hz with 7 sheep per treatment over 3 consignments (n = 210 carcasses). The pH–temperature decline was evaluated for all carcasses. Based on the SMEQ guidelines, 43% of stimulated carcasses reached a pH of 6.0 between a carcass temperature of 18–25°C, compared with 14% of unstimulated controls. Furthermore, 21% of carcasses reached a pH of 6.0 before the carcass temperature reached 25°C and 36% did not reach a pH of 6.0 by the time the carcass was 18°C. Alternatively, under the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) pH–temperature guidelines, carcasses should reach pH 6.0 between 12 and 35°C; 87% of stimulated carcasses reached a pH of 6.0 between 12–35°C, compared with 39% of unstimulated controls. One percent of carcasses reached a pH of 6.0 before the carcass temperature reached 35°C and 12% did not reach a pH of 6.0 by a carcass temperature by the time the carcass was 12°C. The abattoir in this study had a very fast chilling regime which resulted in carcasses reaching pH 6.0 at low temperatures and accounted for the low number of carcasses reaching a pH of 6.0 between 18–25°C. There was no effect of different current and pulse widths on the rate of decline, temperature at pH 6.0 or initial pH, which was attributed to the late application of electrical stimulation postmortem when muscle contraction is dependant on direct muscle stimulation. The combination of 2.5 ms and 1000 mA was the best performing treatment with respect to both SMEQ and MSA guidelines and the number of carcasses reaching the pH–temperature window. This treatment had the highest percentage of carcasses reaching the SMEQ window (60%) and MSA window (97%). Furthermore, it resulted in the lowest number of carcasses not reaching pH 6.0 by a carcass temperature of either 12 or 18°C, making it the most suitable to an abattoir with a fast chilling regime. Modulation and frequency manipulation of the segmented electrodes were assessed with the frequency manipulation resulting in the greatest stimulation response. Further work is needed to understand the effect of manipulating the frequency on the system overall or of the individual modules as well as changing the stimulation time.

Sire and growth path effects on sheep meat production. 2. Meat and eating quality

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 1219 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Hopkins ◽  
D. F. Stanley ◽  
E. S. Toohey ◽  
G. E. Gardner ◽  
D. W. Pethick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shear Force ◽  
Sarcomere Length ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Growth Path ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Australian Sheep ◽  
The Impact

The meat and eating quality characteristics of 627 crossbred lamb progeny from 20 Poll Dorset sires were studied. The sires were selected on the basis of Australian sheep breeding values (ASBVs) for postweaning growth (PWWT), depth of loin muscle (PEMD) and subcutaneous fat (PFAT). Lambs were either weaned at 20- or 30-kg liveweight and then within each of these groups held at their weaning weight for 55 days or fully fed, giving four treatment groups. Restricted lambs were realimentated subsequent to the period of feed restriction and the lambs within each treatment group were slaughtered when their mean liveweight reached 45 kg.Shear force of the M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LL) decreased with temperature at pH 6.0, increased with LL ultimate pH and decreased as sarcomere length increased. Within LL aged for 5 days there was no difference between (P > 0.05) between treatments for shear force. There was a treatment effect on M. semimembranosus (SM) shear force, such that for a sire having an average ASBV PWWT of 9.34, topsides from lambs early weaned and restricted had significantly (P < 0.05) lower values. Further within these same lambs, i.e. early weaned and restricted, as the sire ASBV PWWT increased there was a significant (P < 0.001) reduction in shear force. There was a significant (P < 0.05) increase in sensory tenderness as the sire ASBV PFAT increased and across the range of ASBV PFAT this represented a change in sensory tenderness of four points. Overall liking increased with an increase in the temperature at pH 6.0 (P < 0.05) with a coefficient of 0.43 ± 0.19. There was a significant (P < 0.05) interaction between feeding level and the sire ASBV PFAT, such that for restricted fed lambs overall liking increased as the ASBV PFAT increased (coefficient 2.80 ± 0.89) after adjusting for temperature at pH 6.0, but this is not the case for fully feed lambs (coefficient –0.01 ± 0.89). Subtle interactions between sire ASBVs and growth path suggest that the impact of a period of restriction and refeeding on meat and eating quality will be meditated by the sire genetics.

The influence of carcass backfat thickness and intramuscular fat level on pork eating quality

1996 ◽  
Vol 1996 ◽  
pp. 157-157
Author(s):  
P.J. Blanchard ◽  
C.C. Warkup ◽  
M.B. Willis ◽  
M. Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Classification Scheme ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Critical Comment ◽  
Backfat Thickness ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Meat Industry ◽  
Fat Level ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Uk

The reduction in the mean backfat thickness of pigs that has occurred in the UK since a national pig carcass classification scheme was introduced in 1971 has shifted the distribution of P2 depths leading to a marked increase in the number of extremely lean pigs slaughtered. This trend in leaner pork has been accompanied by critical comment from the meat industry, particularly retail butchers, regarding the increasing incidence of meat quality problems among the ultra-lean carcasses at the leading edge of the frequency distribution. The complaints are of poor cutting, presentational and processing qualities and suggest that the flavour, juiciness and tenderness (eating quality) of meat from modern lean hybrids is lower than that from pigs produced some 20-30 years ago.

scholarly journals Mechanical and Biochemical Methods for Rigor Measurement: Relationship with Eating Quality

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Carlos Álvarez ◽  
Lara Morán ◽  
Derek F. Keenan ◽  
Anne-Maria Mullen ◽  
Gonzalo Delgado-Pando
Keyword(s):  
Meat Quality ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Consumer Acceptability ◽  
Meat Industry ◽  
Meat Tenderness ◽  
Extrinsic Factors

Meat quality parameters are affected by a complex series of interacting chemical, biochemical, physical, and physiological components that determine not only the suitability for consumption and the conditions for further processing and storage but also consumer acceptability. Deep understanding and careful manipulation of these intrinsic and extrinsic factors have to be taken in account to ensure high quality of meat, with better technological properties and increased safety for consumers. Among meat quality characteristics, meat tenderness has been perceived as the most important factor governing consumer acceptability. Therefore, being able to early predict meat texture and other related parameters in order to guarantee consistent eating quality to the final consumer is one of the most sought-after goals in the meat industry. Accurate measurements of both the biochemical and mechanical characteristics that underpin muscle and its transformation into meat are key factors to an improved understanding of meat quality, but also this early-stage measurements may be useful to develop methods to predict final meat texture. It is the goal of this review to present the available research literature on the historical and contemporary analyses that could be applied in early postmortem stages (pre-rigor and rigor) to determine the biochemical and physical characteristics of the meat that can potentially impact the eating quality.

Farm assurance: the Scottish dimension

1993 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 69-72
Author(s):  
B. M. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Food Composition ◽  
Consumer Confidence ◽  
Northern Europe ◽  
Meat Industry ◽  
Export Markets ◽  
High Standards ◽  
Planning Group ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Assurance Scheme

AbstractFarm Assured Scotch Livestock (FASL) was established by a small planning group in 1990 with representatives of all sectors of the Scottish meat industry. The agreed objective is to accelerate the ability of the Scotch Beef and Lamb industry to meet consumer requirements in the 1990s.This is being achieved through a farm assurance scheme with standards designed to increase consumer confidence in beef and lamb. Participation is voluntary and already over 1000 farms have joined the scheme. High standards coupled with rigorous independent inspections provide credibility and formal links to the Scottish Consumer Council have been established.The principal criteria are: traceability of stock; staff competence; adherence to welfare codes; food composition and storage; housing and handling facilities; medicines and veterinary treatments; essential records.The farm assured product is now being actively promoted by independent and multiple retailers with considerable interest from the expanding export markets — particularly in Northern Europe. Current developments are aimed at linking farm assurance to meat quality through the Guild of Scotch Quality Meat Suppliers. Standards for auction markets and livestock transport are being established to complete the quality assurance message from farm to plate.

scholarly journals Effects of Enhancement with Phosphate or Sodium Bicarbonate on the Eating Quality of Five Beef Muscles Prepared as Fajita Meat

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Bendele ◽  
A. J. Garmyn ◽  
N. G. Hardcastle ◽  
M. F. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Bicarbonate ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Value Added ◽  
The United States ◽  
Transversus Abdominis ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Meat Industry ◽  
The Us ◽  
Enhancement Method ◽  
Texas Tech University

ObjectivesThe Australian meat industry exports over 70% of its beef, with a large portion going to the US. Due to the popularity of fajita meat in the US, there is an opportunity to export value-added fajita cuts from Australia to the United States. A consumer study was conducted to measure sensory differences between five muscles subjected to two different enhancement solutions.Materials and MethodsFive muscles were collected from cattle at a commercial abattoir in Rockhampton, Australia. The muscles included were top round cap/gracilis (n = 81), inside skirt/transversus abdominis (n = 81), outside skirt/diaphragm (n = 95), flank/rectus abdominis (n = 81), and sirloin flap/obliquus externus abdominis (n = 81). The muscles were vacuum packaged and shipped refrigerated to Texas Tech University for processing. All muscles were cut into equal halves, and then assigned to no enhancement (CON), phosphate enhancement (PHOS), sodium bicarbonate (SBC) enhancement. Muscles were vacuum tumbled to 115% of green weight with their respective solution. Muscles were cooked and sliced into 1.3-cm strips, 5-cm long, and kept warm until serving. The samples were cooked to a medium degree of doneness (71°C) and evaluated for juiciness, flavor liking, and overall liking on 100-mm line scales. Data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX of SAS using MSA carcass grade, muscle, enhancement, and their interactions as fixed effects (α = 0.05).ResultsNo interactions were detected for any eating quality traits (P > 0.05). MSA grade only influenced tenderness (P = 0.04), where Classic (4*) had greater (P < 0.05) tenderness scores than Premium (5*) and ungraded cuts but did not differ (P > 0.05) from Selected (3*). Muscle influenced all palatability traits (P < 0.0001). The sirloin flap (obliquus abdominis internus) steaks had the highest tenderness score (73.7), juiciness score (66.7), flavor score (67.5) and overall liking score (68.6), differentiating itself from the other 4 cuts (P < 0.0001). The top round cap/gracilis had the lowest tenderness scores (49.2), juiciness score (44.7) and overall liking score (51.2) (P < 0.01). Also, enhancement method influenced tenderness and juiciness (P < 0.0001). Between the phosphate enhancement, sodium bicarbonate enhancement and non-enhanced samples, the sodium bicarbonate samples were rated the highest for tenderness 64.1) (P < 0.0001). Moreover, clean enhanced fajita samples rated highest for overall liking (64.0), with phosphate being similar (63.2). The control samples were ranked the lowest in tenderness (46.7), juiciness (42.7), flavor (44.2) and overall liking (43.9).ConclusionThe sirloin flap/obliquus externus abdominis samples were rated highest in all palatability scores, while the top round cap/gracilis had the lowest tenderness, juiciness and overall liking scores. Between the 3 enhancement treatments, the sodium bicarbonate enhancement was significantly the highest rated on tenderness and juiciness. The sirloin flap/obliquus externus abdominis samples that are enhanced with the sodium bicarbonate treatment could maximize the highest palatability scores from consumers. The innovation muscle, the top round cap/gracilis, was rated the lowest of the five muscles in every palatability category but could improve scores through a sodium bicarbonate enhancement.

Determinants of consumer willingness to pay for quality-graded Australian sheep meat

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (9) ◽  
pp. 1692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kara Tighe ◽  
Oscar Cacho ◽  
Stuart Mounter ◽  
Renato Villano ◽  
Alex Ball ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Quality Differentiation ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Quality Grading ◽  
Australian Sheep ◽  
Quality Specifications ◽  
Consumer Age ◽  
Meat Samples ◽  
The Impact

The present study investigated the influence of a quality-grading system, demographic information and consumption preferences on consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for sheep meat. Eating quality was defined by four grades developed by the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) sheep meat-grading scheme. These grades were based on consumer palatability scores for cooked sheep-meat samples and described as 2-star (‘unsatisfactory’ quality), 3-star (‘good every day’ quality), 4-star (‘better than every day’ quality) and 5-star (‘premium’ quality). Currently, sheep-meat available in Australian retail outlets that meets MSA quality specifications is trademarked as ‘MSA graded’ and consists of lamb that falls into at least the 3-star quality band. There is no distinction made between 3-, 4- and 5-star-graded product. A challenge for marketers would be pricing the product by these three grades should finer-quality differentiation be adopted. The present study evaluated consumer WTP for the MSA quality grades and interactions with consumer demographic factors and consumption preferences. Results clearly showed that consumers were willing to pay less for the 2-star grade and more for 4- and 5-star grades, than for 3-star grade. Robust results for the impact of demographic and consumption preferences on WTP were limited to consumer age, occupation, income level and the interaction between MSA grade and consumer age.

FUTURE TRENDS IN RED MEAT PROCESSING—AN OVERVIEW

1989 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. D. M. JONES
Keyword(s):  
New Technology ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Plant Productivity ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Meat Industry ◽  
Meat Processing ◽  
Or Efficiency ◽  
Processing Industry ◽  
Beta Agonists ◽  
Major Trend

The major trend that has taken place in the meat industry is the increased availability of lean carcasses. Leaner carcasses result in improved processing productivity through lower energy costs for chilling and less labor to remove excess fat in the preparation of wholesale cuts. The introduction of new growth or efficiency promoting agents (beta-agonists, porcine somatotropin) will have major effects on livestock production with existing data showing potential gains in efficiency between 10 and 20% and a reduction in carcass fatness of 10–30%. Within the meat processing industry, a major change has been the closure of multispecies plants in favor of more specialized high throughput single species plants. Automation on the slaughter floor and in the cutting room are key areas for improving plant productivity. Hot processing of cuts on the slaughter floor offers major advantages in improving slaughter plant productivity. Research studies indicate that hot processing compared to traditional processing would require about 30% less chilling space, reduce the costs of cooling by 50% and need less labor to produce a final product. The meat processing industry faces the combined challenges of maintaining the quality of ultra-lean meat and adopting new technology to improve the efficiency of processing. Key words: Beef, pork, quality, grading, processing

scholarly journals Effect of Enhancement on Three Beef Muscles with Phosphate or Alternative Functional Ingredients on the Eating Quality of Australian Beef

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. C. Hardcastle ◽  
A. J. Garmyn ◽  
M. F. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Sodium Tripolyphosphate ◽  
Potato Starch ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Fixed Time ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Meat Industry ◽  
Functional Ingredients ◽  
The Usa

ObjectivesImported meat products are commonly used in the value-addition sector of the US meat industry. Non-meat ingredients, such as sodium tripolyphosphate (STP), are often introduced into imported subprimals by the processor to mitigate potential palatability issues. Although STP can positively affect palatability attributes, its use in meat products can be concerning to some consumers. Our objectives were to determine the effects of enhancement with phosphate or alternative functional ingredients on the palatability of three imported Australian beef subprimals.Materials and MethodsRibeye rolls, strip loins, and eye of rounds were collected from carcasses (N = 69) at two commercial abattoirs in Australia. Subprimals were shipped under vacuum in a commercial refrigerated vessel at 0 to 2°C to the USA, where they were transported to Texas Tech University for processing. External fat, connective tissue, and accessory muscles were removed from subprimals, leaving the longissimus thoracics (LT), longissimus lumborum (LL), and the semitendinosus (ST). Muscles were then portioned into six equal sections. One section served as a non-enhanced control (CON), while the remaining five were injected to 112% of green weight with water, salt, and 1 of 5 ingredients: STP, sodium bicarbonate (SBC), sodium carbonate (SC), native potato starch (PS), or beef flavoring (BF). Sections were cut into steak pieces (5 × 5 × 2.5-cm thick) and frozen at 90 d postmortem. Thawed samples were cooked on a clamshell grill using a fixed time cooking schedule targeting a medium degree of doneness, cut into 2 equal portions, and served warm to 2 consumers. Panelists (n = 1380) evaluated each sample for tenderness, juiciness, flavor and overall liking on anchored 100-mm lines scales. Each consumer evaluated 6 test samples from the treatment combinations arranged in a predetermined, balanced order. Sensory data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS using muscle, ingredient, and their interaction as fixed effects and abattoir as a random effect (α = 0.05).ResultsNo interactions were detected between muscle and ingredient (P ≥ 0.44); however, both muscle and ingredient affected (P < 0.01) consumer sensory ratings. The LL and LT similarly (P > 0.05) scored more tender, with greater flavor and overall liking (P < 0.05) than the ST. The LT was juicier than LL, which was intermediate, and ST was the least juicy (P < 0.05). Samples that were not enhanced were scored lower (P < 0.05) for all measured palatability attributes compared to all other treatments, except STP and CON had similar tenderness scores (P > 0.05). Of the injected samples, STP resulted in lower (P < 0.05) consumer sensory scores than all other treatments. Consumers rated SBC, SC, and PS as the most tender samples (P < 0.05). Samples enhanced with SBC and SC were juicier (P < 0.05) than all other treatments except PS. The flavor of SC was liked more (P < 0.05) than all other treatments except SBC and PS. Samples from SBC, SC, and PS had greater (P < 0.05) overall liking than STP and CON, but PS and BF were similar (P > 0.05).ConclusionUltimately, these results revealed that several alternative functional ingredients can be used to improve palatability scores of imported Australian beef while generating eating quality outcomes that are similar or superior to injection with STP.

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