New Zealand food solutions co-operative Alliance Group has partnered with MEQ to deploy lamb and beef probes powered by artificial intelligence across its entire plant network. The probes measure the Intramuscular Fat (IMF) levels in lamb and marbling percentages in beef.
The technology provides a real-time view of the eating quality of the meat produced across Alliance’s plant network. IMF and ageing are believed to be the two largest contributors to the sensory experience when eating quality meat.
MEQ’s beef and lamb probes are the only technology of its kind that has been industry-accredited by key Australian red meat body, AUS-MEAT.
The technology uses a combination of spectral analysis and AI to accurately measure IMF in a carcass at the beginning of processing to capture a ‘fingerprint’ within a loin muscle.
The technology roll out will provide the co-operative with objective measurable data to give farmers visibility about the quality of the meat they are supplying. Farmers will then be able to make informed decisions about breeding programmes, and feed, which leads to more sustainable livestock management.
Alliance has been trialling the technology at two of its plants; Smithfield (Timaru) and Pukeuri (Oamaru) over the past nine months.
Alliance chief executive Willie Wiese said farmers were always looking for detailed information about the quality of their animals.
“Ultimately, higher IMF and marbling readings translate into greater returns for them and the co-operative. In pasture-based livestock production systems, IMF has a strong correlation with polyunsaturated fat including Omega fatty acids. High IMF levels represent healthy fats, which are good for nutrition.
“Through the use of MEQ’s technology, we can deliver strong IMF feedback to farmers. Working with MEQ arms us with the best data very early in our processes. The benefits of this insight will flow down throughout the entire supply chain, and ultimately to the end consumer,” said Wiese.
MEQ’s probe technology does not require carcasses to be chilled in order to measure IMF or marbling, allowing Alliance will also gain more time to determine cut design plans and optimise carcase value and allocation into branded ranges. The technology also saves on chiller space and reduces energy consumption.
MEQ CEO Remo Carbone said the partnership would be reshaping the future of farming by providing real-time, data-backed insights.
“Our AI-powered technology is unique in the way that it slots in seamlessly within processors' existing infrastructure, but monumentally increases optimisation from herd and mob management all the way to chiller space at the point of carcase breakdown- the information gathered by the probes has transformative implications for each stage of the process,” said Carbone.
