Development and validation of Process Modelling - Phase 3

Summary

The current project was the third iteration of development and evaluation of a process modelling tool. The current phase evaluated the upload of relevant aspects of the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) Eating Quality model.

Specifically, the current (Phase 3) evaluated the required modifications to the current prototype Processing Model version to integrate with aspects of the MSA model. 

Objectives

The specific objectives of the current Phase 3 were to:

• determine the underlying putative mechanism for the heat shortening effect (through arbitrary mathematical description of a sufficiently broad dataset of samples exposed to a range of temperatures for a range of durations)
• develop the necessary matrix of data to allow a predictive model of the heat shortening effect to be constructed, and *Update on the development of the commercial dataset developed in collaboration with commercial partners in New Zealand.

Key findings

The outcome of the project was to report on MSA data collation and uploading of information into model and to assist MSA to revise current MSA meat science course and other training modules to include the Process Modelling tools. It involved identifying the required modifications to validate the model.

Benefits to industry

A model calculating the post-rigor increase in ultimate tenderness under denaturing conditions has been developed in the current project. This shows that the post-rigor effects are significant and needs to be incorporated into development of process specifications for large, slow-cooling carcasses that have a rapid pH decline. The overall benefit of the development of such a tool is for meat science demonstration purposes.

MLA action

MLA's involvement was in the commencement of the technology transfer to Australian (and New Zealand) early adopter processors.

Future research

The next step will be to evaluate two plants in much more detail: one will use the conventional high voltage stimulation system and the other the medium voltage system. In both cases, the current performance of the system will be audited in greater detail, particularly by monitoring intermediate levels of pH decline, and end point measurements of tenderness, purge loss and colour will be collected

These data will be used as inputs to the SSF models and will assist in the refinement of the predictions. Longer term, a number of processing options will be put into the model and the quality predictions will be used to identify processing modifications that should be trialled in each plant to further improve and optimise meat quality.