V.TEC.1734 - Developing NMR methods to measure shear force and tenderness

Summary

This project investigated whether Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technology can provide a non-destructive, objective measure of meat tenderness and shear force. The research demonstrated meaningful correlations between NMR measurements and shear force across beef, lamb and goat samples, indicating strong potential for commercial application in carcass grading and eating quality prediction.

Objectives

The key objectives of this project included:

- Developing NMR methods capable of measuring eating quality traits during carcass grading.
- Collecting NMR data from a statistically significant range of beef and lamb samples.
- Assessing NMR measurements across the ageing process.
- Determining correlations between NMR data and shear force/tenderness.

Key findings

Key findings included:

NMR measurements showed correlations with shear force in red meat.
NMR successfully predicted changes in tenderness throughout the ageing process.
Predictive models for shear force were successfully developed and validated.
NMR also demonstrated the ability to predict intramuscular fat and showed correlations with meat colour.

Benefits to industry

Benefits to industry include:

- Providing a pathway to objective tenderness measurement during processing.
- Improving the accuracy of MSA eating quality predictions and carcass grading.
- Supporting premium brand segregation and more consistent eating quality outcomes.
- Enabling greater collection of phenotypic data for genetic improvement programs.

MLA action

Recommended MLA actions following the project include:

- Progressing a Phase 2 project to validate findings and reduce measurement uncertainty.
- Supporting the development and testing of a commercial prototype in processing plant environments.
- Exploring opportunities to incorporate NMR-derived tenderness measures into MSA grading systems.

Future research

Future research opportunities include:

- Refining NMR methodologies to improve measurement precision.
- Validating predictive models using larger datasets.
- Further investigating NMR prediction of tenderness changes during ageing.
- Developing and evaluating a commercial NMR prototype under processing plant conditions.