Measuring the quality of Australia's meat industry

Australia is the world’s largest exporter of lamb and mutton, but we have no practical, commercial way to measure meat quality.

Miniprobes is working with Meat & Livestock Australia and The University of Adelaide to develop a ‘smart needle’. With a $1.5 million Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRC-P) grant, they aim to develop and commercialise the Miniprobe. The Miniprobe contains a fibre-optic probe that will measure intramuscular fat and quantify meat quality. Intramuscular fat is a critical factor in rating the quality of red meat. It impacts consumer perception of juiciness, flavour and overall satisfaction.

By being able to guarantee product quality we can establish Australia as a preferred supplier. It will also guide breeding and husbandry decisions for producers.

The project has successfully addressed significant technical challenges to translate research from the University of Adelaide into a robust handheld device. It needed to be easy to use in a fast-paced abattoir where each carcase is scanned in under 4 seconds. The device also needs to be robust enough to withstand sterilisation, and requires fast analysis which challenges the limits of our current technology.

The group are working to commercialise the Miniprobe and begin using it at 2 of Australia’s largest meat processing facilities. They also plan to distribute it globally.

The commercialisation of this product, supported by CRC-P grant funding, will have a significant impact on the Australian sheep meat industry. The Miniprobe has the potential to generate an additional $173 million for the Australian sheep meat industry each year. With an increasing focus on quality products this is an opportunity for the industry to promote the true value of our Australian meat.