Red meat industry to discuss DEXA technology rollout

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) will bring members from across the red meat industry together to further discuss DEXA technology at a consultation workshop in Brisbane this Monday.

The workshop – DEXA technology in the red meat industry – follows the announcement last month by MLA of a plan to install objective carcase measurement (OCM) technology across the Australian red meat industry.

It will provide an opportunity for industry members to learn more about MLA’s work with industry, research institutes and technology providers to develop the application of DEXA (Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry) as an objective carcase measurement tool.

The workshop will take place in Brisbane on Monday, 12 December 2016 – and will include a panel of speakers discussing the technology and MLA’s plan to enable industry an option to accelerate its adoption in Australian processing plants and increase the accessibility of the resulting data across the value chain. There will also be a question and answer session for attendees.

Panellists will include:

• Richard Norton, MLA Managing Director
• Sean Starling, MLA’s General Manager - Research, Development and Innovation
• Professor David Pethick, Murdoch University
• Dr John Langbridge, Manager Industry and Corporate Affairs, Teys Australia
• David Hill, Cattle Council of Australia board member and producer

MLA General Manager – Research, Development and Innovation Sean Starling said the forum was an opportunity for producers, processors or other interested parties from across the value chain to understand the technology and its benefits in more detail.

“Installing DEXA technology throughout Australia’s red meat industry has the potential to be transformational – creating a single scientific measurement of carcase meat, fat and bone (lean meat yield) and the opportunity to pass this information back along the value chain,” Mr Starling said.

“On farm, the information will stimulate further advances in genetics and livestock production systems.

“This technology can also be leveraged by processors to increase boning room efficiency and provide opportunities for automation.

“DEXA technology has been utilised in other sectors, including in the medical sector, for many years. The smallstock DEXA technology is now ready for commercial deployment, with the research and development for beef technology nearing completion.”

Last month, MLA outlined a plan to create a platform to install stage one of the new OCM technology into all AUS-MEAT registered slaughter facilities in Australia.

To find out more about the consultation workshop in Brisbane and to register to attend, please visit https://www.mla.com.au/news-and-events/events-and-workshops/dexa-technology-in-the-red-meat-industry/

The workshop details are:

DEXA technology in the red meat industry
Time: 1.00pm – 3.00pm
Date: Monday, 12 December 2016
Venue: McGuires Colmslie Hotel, cnr Wynnum and Junction Roads, Morningside, Queensland
The meeting will include a light lunch and question and answer session