Training the E + V grading camera against Australian meat grading standards.

Summary

Both the recent ACCC inquiry and the Senate Rural Affairs have highlighted the need to develop more objective methods for assessing carcases value. In Australia, meat quality attributes are inspected by professionally trained assessors. Scientific studies have shown that manual grading may lead to inconsistencies and variations.

The use of a calibrated grading camera, as used in the United States, is at least as accurate when measuring each quality trait of the exposed rib-eye muscle as the plant grader when compared to the Expert (Meat Standards Australia Australia) Grader. Overall the correlations were good and the camera prediction model appears to perform at least as accurately when compared to the expert grader as the current plant graders. It also produced less variable results. Essentially it showed that it had promise. Furthermore a permanent record of the grading outcome is available whenever there are disputes.

There is now sufficient information to support a recommendation to conduct of a full trial with the aim of seeking formal AUSMEAT approval as an aid to carcase grading under Australian conditions. This trial will additionally address inter camera variability and repeatability of camera outputs.