Optimising the abattoir component of the supply chain for red meat to increase processing efficiency, yield and quality. (SNGPI.029)

Summary

The concept of the Central Processing Management System (CPMS) that underpinned the MQST programme depended on quantifying the interactions of processing variables so that meat quality outcomes could be predicted under a range of processing conditions.
The core processing conditions that needed to be managed are the rate of change of pH and temperature, and how these interact to affect quality would differ according to which muscle or species of meat animal was being considered. The meat quality attributes that needed to be predicted by the model are tenderisation, colour and colour stability and water binding capacity.
A service provider, Carne, was contracted to create a computer model that might be the basis for centrally managing eating quality in a processing plant, with the eventual intention of a real time control system that would monitor key eating quality parameters, then control eating quality via intervention technologies such as SmartStim.
While a model was successfully built, it was not developed to the stage where the above was feasible, and has only been used as a educational tool.