HI-TECH MEAT quality assessment can be done at the line-speeds used in commercial abattoirs, according to researchers who have been trialling the equipment involved.
The recently-completed Integrated Measurement of Eating Quality research project, jointly funded by the Scottish Government and Quality Meat Scotland, has established that there is a practical place for the robotic technology in Scotland's meat sector - and that it offers real commercial benefits.
The practical trial period of the £950k, three-year project was undertaken at Scotbeef's Bridge of Allan premises which has one of the fastest line speeds in the UK. This phase was completed in summer 2013 and, following several months of collation and interpretation of the data, the full results have now been finalised.
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "It's critical to the future success and viability of Scotland's red meat supply chain that our livestock farmers and processors fully embrace all the advantages that new technologies and innovative practices have to offer.
"The outcomes of this project offer a range of opportunities to keep the Scottish red meat sector in the very vanguard of 21st Century meat processing and I am delighted that our funding has delivered such a broad range of science based options to achieve this."
QMS chairman Jim McLaren said: "The project has delivered first class results and shown it is possible to create integrated systems to assess carcass and meat eating quality under abattoir conditions. It has also highlighted the scope for imaging technology to allow the industry to move towards a carcase payment system based on yield of superior eating quality meat. It is very important this is accompanied by strong feedback of information on carcass quality to producers".