Beef marbling measurement tool gets accreditation tick

©stock.adobe.com/au/Natalia Lisovskaya

Australian Agtech startup MEQ Probe has received accreditation for its ‘hot carcase’ marbling measurement technology for beef, just three months after its lamb accreditation.

In February after stringent independent testing, the MEQ Probe technology was accredited by industry peak body AUS-MEAT, for accurate measurement between the 100–1200 MSA point range for beef. The technology has the ability to measure both intramuscular fat (IMF) in lamb and marbling in beef.

Marbling is considered one of the most significant aspects impacting the quality and value of meat. It refers to the small flecks of fat distributed throughout the muscle in beef and is currently measured using cold marbling measures where fat deposits and distribution on a cut surface of chilled beef is visually assessed by processing plant graders or grading professionals.

Current marbling measurement methods can present some inefficiencies, including: losing valuable time that could be used to create thorough cut design plans; using energy to chill carcases; losing space in chillers; and potential grading inaccuracies due to human error and subjective judgement.

MEQ Probe’s newly accredited hot measure solution is designed to give processors 10x the time to determine their cut design plan and can help to save on energy and chiller space. The hot measure prevents the need for extended chilling, which can provide WHS improvements in the boning room. Information about individual carcase is also provided in real time, allowing processors to share insights quickly through the supply chain — distributors, retailers, consumers and farmers.

The solution works using spectral analysis on a carcase-bycarcase basis coupled with machine learning to provide meat processors with an objective real-time measure for meat quality.

The accreditation of the company’s beef marbling probe comes after processors Australian Country Choice (ACC) and Teys Australia partnered with the company to help the development of the probe over the last 12 months.

MEQ Probe CEO Remo Carbone said Australia produces approximately 2.4 tonnes of beef a year, 76% of which is exported. “Our beef quality is a point of pride and with consumers becoming increasingly discerning when it comes to product quality, having an accurate, scientifically backed measure of meat marbling is critical. Our accreditation puts Australia at a distinct advantage and opens doors for what producers and processors can do in terms of branding and premium price targeting.”

“We are beyond thrilled to have received accreditation from AUS-MEAT and to work with all those in the beef supply chain to make digitised marbling measurement the standard for the industry. However, MEQ Probe will continue to push the limits of our technology and work to bring even more value and understanding about the red meat we eat. We have a lot planned for 2022.” MEQ Probe Beef Probe Gun.

Increasing capacity at a craft brewery

Tiny Rebel, a British craft brewery from Newport in South Wales, has used KHS filling machinery to increase the efficiency and capacity of its canning operations thanks to KHS Innofill Can C can filler being installed.

According to the brewery, the new machine fills the same amount of beverage in an hour as the prior machine would have filled in a whole day. The team at Tiny Rebel now produce up to 15,000 330 mL cans an hour. The machine also lets the brewer control the level of oxygen in the beers, through its CO2 purging process that provides a high level of precision for filling operations.

“Oxygen control is the key to good beer. The special CO2 purging process on the Innofill Can C can cut oxygen pick-up by up to 90%. We attach great value to appropriate product quality, especially with our ales. With KHS, we can perfectly meet this requirement,” said Mark Gammons, head of operations at Tiny Rebel.

The machinery has a compact design with good hygiene performance, which allows for smaller batches of different beer styles and container sizes to be produced without reducing product quality. Tiny Rebel produces a large range of products so this is an advantage as the machine can prevent contamination and flavour carryover on the frequent product changeovers.

“The help the KHS team gave us with this project was magnificent. From ordering through planning to commissioning, everything went really smoothly,” Gammons said.

For beverage producers with a higher output, KHS recently upped the performance of the Innofill Can C to be able to manage up to 60,000 containers every 60 minutes. Thanks to this new series, the machine can now be integrated into lines with higher capacities more effectively and supplemented by an Innopro Paramix C blending system or a KHS flash pasteuriser, for example. Furthermore, the hot filling option increases flexibility when it comes to producing juices, iced teas and other beverages. KHS Pacific Pty Ltd www.khs.com

Image credit: KHS / Tiny Rebel

Tiny Rebel uses a can seamer from Ferrum, one of KHS’ partner companies.