Unique beef grading system boosts Australian beef sector

A unique beef grading system designed and developed by the Australian beef industry and the Beef Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) has boosted the industry's income by A$244 million.

 

The Meat Standards Australia (MSA) is a beef grading system that, depending on how the beef is cooked, guarantees tenderness.

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Mark Vaile announced the results of a new study that found the MSA system delivered A$159 million for the cattle industry between 1999 and 2005, and a further A$85 million to the beef industry this financial year.

 

According to the study, MSA has increased profits for cattle producers, feedlotters and processors, Vaile said.

 

He noted that the return on investment represents more than three and a half times the total Australian Government funding provided to the Beef CRC for a period of 20 years through to 2012.

 

Technologies like MSA will help maintain Australia's status as a premium beef exporter, Vaile said.

 

The A$244 million amounts to an extra twenty cents per kilogramme of beef graded through MSA, while at the same time helping to increase consumer benefits via better quality assurance and improved production processes, according to Allan Bloxsom of Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).

 

The MSA model is highly accurate and takes into account all the Critical Control Points (CCPs) of beef production that impact palatability, said Bloxsom.

 

A new phase for MSA is currently being investigated by the Beef CRC, using research to quantify the effect of novel gene markers for tenderness in terms of consumer taste panel scores.

 

In total, about 20,000 cattle have been genetically characterised by the Beef CRC, which will allow genes for economically important traits to be identified in the Australian herd, and also become indicators for high quality product as part of MSA, said Dr Heather Burrow, CEO of the Beef CRC.