Beef DEXA supply chain grading-LMY (TEYS Rockhampton-construct scanning platform)

Summary

The Red Meat Industry is seeking to improve Objective Carcase Measurement using Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry to calculate Lean Meat Yield compositions for beef sides.

The project has constructed a DEXA system at TEYS Rockhampton which scans beef sides at line speed producing very stable images. The software analyses the DEXA images using a Murdoch University Algorithm to produce Lean Meat Yield compositions for Lean Meat, Fat, and Bone.The data and images associated by the RFID are stored in a shared network drive, and this data is directly available to the processor.

The DEXA Lean Meat Yield composition accuracy will only be quantifiable upon the completion of the stage 3 DEXA analysis accuracy improvements being undertaken by Murdoch University. The improvements include calibrating against Computational Tomography (CT) composition.

The industry will be able to evaluate the calibrated Lean Meat Yield composition as a tool for Objective Carcase Measurement.

Future projects may use the DEXA platform to develop regional LMY compositions for beef side sectors, and robotic cutting developments.