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Farmer concerns about inconsistent grading of their cattle at beef plants got expert backing this week.
The machines being used at Irish plants are becoming outdated and need to be upgraded, specialist meat researcher Dr Paul Allen said. They are based on analogue technology, which farmers will remember as being used in televisions before the switch to digital technology, he told the International Congress of Meat Science and Technology in Cork.
The latest technology uses 40 cameras to take images from both sides of a carcase and these are merged to give a 3D model.
This is potentially more accurate at measuring meat yield, cut weights and cut sizes, said Dr Allen, who led research into carcase grading at the Teagasc Food Research Centre.
Mechanical grading was introduced in Irish plants in 2004 after a lengthy trials and negotiation. Farmers accepted it as more consistent than the system it replaced – visual grading by a large team of Department of Agriculture officials.
But cattle farmers still report inconsistency in machine grading. This, and the lack of an independent appeals body, have been raised by farm organisations with Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and his Department at the Beef Forum. Other live issues are payment for meat yield and trimming practices at the plants.
Last week’s event heard of coming technology that could help farmers get paid for producing quality animals.
A Brazilian non-contact, laser-based system is predicting carcase weight in live animal with 92% accuracy.
Payment bonuses based on marbling and other quality characteristics are already in place in North America and Mexico. Mexican researchers are automating measurement of marbling.
Factory grading machines need upgrade
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