Some important changes in the Australian sheep meat processing industry

2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 752 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Hopkins ◽  
E. S. Toohey ◽  
K. L. Pearce ◽  
I. Richards
Keyword(s):  
Short Pulse ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Improve Product Quality ◽  
Meat Processing ◽  
Processing Industry ◽  
Electrical Currents ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Australian Sheep

In the last 5 years there has been a dramatic increase in the adoption in the Australian sheep meat processing industry of electrical technologies designed to streamline processing and improve product quality. Part of this change was initiated by an Australia-wide audit of lamb tenderness in 1997–98 and the development of a program to establish an eating quality scheme for sheep meat across Australia. Critically, these initiatives coincided with the development of new ways of administering electrical currents to either bodies or carcasses. Underlying this new approach is the electrocution of carcasses individually on segmented electrodes in a dose responsive way with electricity that has short pulse widths and lower voltages. This paper documents the pivotal factors which have contributed to this level of industry adoption and which has seen 14 abattoirs install the new technology. Of these abattoirs only one previously had any form of stimulation and these abattoirs represent more than 70% of the throughput of sheep and lambs on a tonnage basis per year in Australia.

scholarly journals Muscle metabolism in sheep and cattle in relation to high rigor temperature – overview and perspective

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 510 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. E. Strydom ◽  
K. Rosenvold
Keyword(s):  
Research Program ◽  
Muscle Metabolism ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Meat Processing ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Processing Industry ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Temperature Window ◽  
The Impact

An increasing number of Australian slaughter plants were found not to meet the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) pH–temperature window, due to high rigor temperatures, particularly at plants where grain-fed animals were slaughtered. Hence, the red meat processing industry in Australia supported a research program focused on resolving this issue, as carcasses that do not meet the MSA pH–temperature window are excluded from MSA grading. This special issue of Animal Production Science describes the outcomes of a major program identifying ante- and post-mortem factors related to heat-induced toughening in both beef and sheep meat through literature reviews and targeted research to find interventions to prevent the impact of high rigor temperature on meat quality, particularly tenderness. This paper provides an overview of the outcomes of the research program, some of which require further research before implementation. It is suggested that an entire supply-chain approach be applied to establish the most efficient and cost-effective way of reducing the incidence of high rigor temperature.

Sire and growth path effects on sheep meat production. 2. Meat and eating quality

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 1219 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Hopkins ◽  
D. F. Stanley ◽  
E. S. Toohey ◽  
G. E. Gardner ◽  
D. W. Pethick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shear Force ◽  
Sarcomere Length ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Growth Path ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Australian Sheep ◽  
The Impact

The meat and eating quality characteristics of 627 crossbred lamb progeny from 20 Poll Dorset sires were studied. The sires were selected on the basis of Australian sheep breeding values (ASBVs) for postweaning growth (PWWT), depth of loin muscle (PEMD) and subcutaneous fat (PFAT). Lambs were either weaned at 20- or 30-kg liveweight and then within each of these groups held at their weaning weight for 55 days or fully fed, giving four treatment groups. Restricted lambs were realimentated subsequent to the period of feed restriction and the lambs within each treatment group were slaughtered when their mean liveweight reached 45 kg.Shear force of the M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LL) decreased with temperature at pH 6.0, increased with LL ultimate pH and decreased as sarcomere length increased. Within LL aged for 5 days there was no difference between (P > 0.05) between treatments for shear force. There was a treatment effect on M. semimembranosus (SM) shear force, such that for a sire having an average ASBV PWWT of 9.34, topsides from lambs early weaned and restricted had significantly (P < 0.05) lower values. Further within these same lambs, i.e. early weaned and restricted, as the sire ASBV PWWT increased there was a significant (P < 0.001) reduction in shear force. There was a significant (P < 0.05) increase in sensory tenderness as the sire ASBV PFAT increased and across the range of ASBV PFAT this represented a change in sensory tenderness of four points. Overall liking increased with an increase in the temperature at pH 6.0 (P < 0.05) with a coefficient of 0.43 ± 0.19. There was a significant (P < 0.05) interaction between feeding level and the sire ASBV PFAT, such that for restricted fed lambs overall liking increased as the ASBV PFAT increased (coefficient 2.80 ± 0.89) after adjusting for temperature at pH 6.0, but this is not the case for fully feed lambs (coefficient –0.01 ± 0.89). Subtle interactions between sire ASBVs and growth path suggest that the impact of a period of restriction and refeeding on meat and eating quality will be meditated by the sire genetics.

Determinants of consumer willingness to pay for quality-graded Australian sheep meat

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (9) ◽  
pp. 1692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kara Tighe ◽  
Oscar Cacho ◽  
Stuart Mounter ◽  
Renato Villano ◽  
Alex Ball ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Quality Differentiation ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Quality Grading ◽  
Australian Sheep ◽  
Quality Specifications ◽  
Consumer Age ◽  
Meat Samples ◽  
The Impact

The present study investigated the influence of a quality-grading system, demographic information and consumption preferences on consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for sheep meat. Eating quality was defined by four grades developed by the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) sheep meat-grading scheme. These grades were based on consumer palatability scores for cooked sheep-meat samples and described as 2-star (‘unsatisfactory’ quality), 3-star (‘good every day’ quality), 4-star (‘better than every day’ quality) and 5-star (‘premium’ quality). Currently, sheep-meat available in Australian retail outlets that meets MSA quality specifications is trademarked as ‘MSA graded’ and consists of lamb that falls into at least the 3-star quality band. There is no distinction made between 3-, 4- and 5-star-graded product. A challenge for marketers would be pricing the product by these three grades should finer-quality differentiation be adopted. The present study evaluated consumer WTP for the MSA quality grades and interactions with consumer demographic factors and consumption preferences. Results clearly showed that consumers were willing to pay less for the 2-star grade and more for 4- and 5-star grades, than for 3-star grade. Robust results for the impact of demographic and consumption preferences on WTP were limited to consumer age, occupation, income level and the interaction between MSA grade and consumer age.

FUTURE TRENDS IN RED MEAT PROCESSING—AN OVERVIEW

1989 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. D. M. JONES
Keyword(s):  
New Technology ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Plant Productivity ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Meat Industry ◽  
Meat Processing ◽  
Or Efficiency ◽  
Processing Industry ◽  
Beta Agonists ◽  
Major Trend

The major trend that has taken place in the meat industry is the increased availability of lean carcasses. Leaner carcasses result in improved processing productivity through lower energy costs for chilling and less labor to remove excess fat in the preparation of wholesale cuts. The introduction of new growth or efficiency promoting agents (beta-agonists, porcine somatotropin) will have major effects on livestock production with existing data showing potential gains in efficiency between 10 and 20% and a reduction in carcass fatness of 10–30%. Within the meat processing industry, a major change has been the closure of multispecies plants in favor of more specialized high throughput single species plants. Automation on the slaughter floor and in the cutting room are key areas for improving plant productivity. Hot processing of cuts on the slaughter floor offers major advantages in improving slaughter plant productivity. Research studies indicate that hot processing compared to traditional processing would require about 30% less chilling space, reduce the costs of cooling by 50% and need less labor to produce a final product. The meat processing industry faces the combined challenges of maintaining the quality of ultra-lean meat and adopting new technology to improve the efficiency of processing. Key words: Beef, pork, quality, grading, processing

Processing technology changes in the Australian sheep meat industry: an overview

2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 399 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Hopkins
Keyword(s):  
Short Pulse ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Meat Industry ◽  
Export Markets ◽  
Research Investment ◽  
Technology Changes ◽  
Retail Prices ◽  
Australian Sheep ◽  
New Methodologies

Over the last 20 years the Australian sheep industry, particularly the lamb meat sector, has undergone a major change in focus such that consumer requirements are a paramount determinant for production and processing developments. As a result automatic accurate methods of measuring carcasses for traits like fatness and meat yield have been important to aid a reduction by industry in carcass fat levels in line with domestic and international consumer demand. This occurred while carcass weight increased due to a range of genetic and production factors implemented on-farm. Further to this in the last 5–7 years there has been a dramatic increase in the adoption of electrical technologies based on new methodologies with a shift in focus onto eating quality. Underlying this new approach was the electrical stimulation of individual carcasses on segmented electrodes in a dose-responsive way with electricity that has short pulse widths and low to medium voltages and is thus much safer than the original high voltage systems. This technology allowed stimulation units to be fitted into abattoirs where this was not previously possible and validation showed that the technology could reduce toughness in lamb destined for the domestic market and some export markets. More recent technology to stretch and shape cuts shows promise for improving both the quality and product range from sheep and lamb carcasses. The industry continues to focus on meat quality and has shown a significant increase in exports, while maintaining per-capita domestic consumption at record retail prices. This indicates an industry where research investment across the board has shown significant returns.

scholarly journals Treatment of fish processing industry wastewater using hydrodynamic cavitational reactor with biodegradability improvement

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (12) ◽  
pp. 2310-2319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prashant Dhanke ◽  
Sameer Wagh ◽  
Abhijeet Patil
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Hydrodynamic Cavitation ◽  
Inlet Pressure ◽  
Fish Processing ◽  
Processing Industry ◽  
Cavitation Effect ◽  
Processing Plants

Abstract Water generated from the fish processing industry is contaminated with organic matter. This organic matter present in wastewater increases the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). A new technology, hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) is used to deal with this wastewater produced in fish processing plants. The orifice plate is used in the HC reactor to generate a cavitation effect. The intensification of this technique was carried out with the help of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and TiO2. The treatment of this wastewater is reported in terms of percent degradation in BOD and COD and in biodegradability index (BI). Operating parameters like inlet pressure, pH, operating temperature and H2O2 doses were used to find the optimum condition. 15 g/L of H2O2 gave 69.5% reduction of COD in the 120 min of treatment that also increases BI value to 0.93 at inlet pressure 8 bar, Plate-5, temperature (30 °C), and pH 4. In the ultrasonic cavitation (UC) reactor, COD reduction is 68.7% without TiO2 and with TiO2 it is 71.2%. Also, this HC and UC reactor reduced CFU count to a great extent at the same operating conditions.

New electrical stimulation technologies for sheep carcasses New electrical stimulation technologies for sheep carcasses

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 575 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. D. Shaw ◽  
S. R. Baud ◽  
I. Richards ◽  
D. W. Pethick ◽  
P. J. Walker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
High Voltage ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Electrode System ◽  
Constant Current ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Meat Eating ◽  
Medium Voltage ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Maximum Voltage

High voltage electrical stimulation applied to the lamb carcass at the end of the dressing procedure often leads to an improvement in overall product quality by reducing the incidence of toughness. It would be advantageous if the same results could be consistently achieved with the use of lower, safer, voltages — medium voltage electrical stimulation. Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of medium voltage electrical stimulation applied to wool-on carcasses on meat quality as assessed using the Sheep Meat Eating Quality protocols. A further experiment examined the interaction of electrical stimulation and meat aging time on the consumer acceptance of lamb meat. In the first experiment, 3 treatments: control (non-stimulated), medium voltage electrical stimulation (applied to the wool-on carcass) and high voltage electrical stimulation (applied at the completion of dressing) were examined. Samples of the loin (LTL) and rump (GM) muscles were evaluated by consumers using Sheep Meat Eating Quality protocols. For both muscles, the consumers gave higher scores for tenderness, juiciness, flavour and overall acceptability to the stimulated product (P<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 stimulation treatments. The second experiment was conducted at a commercial lamb-processing abattoir that had installed a prototype automated electrode system designed to work at chain speed. Lambs received either no stimulation (control), low current medium voltage electrical stimulation (constant current 300 mA peak, 15 Hz, maximum voltage 550 V peak) or high current medium voltage electrical stimulation (constant current 600 mA peak, 15 Hz, maximum voltage 550 V peak) immediately after sticking. Electrical stimulation improved both the objective and sensory (Sheep Meat Eating Quality) eating quality attributes of lamb loin muscle when assessed following 2 days of ageing. When expressed according to consumer satisfaction rating, 30, 37 and 70% of the loins receiving low, high or no electrical stimulation, respectively, were rated as unsatisfactory at 2 days of ageing. At 4 days of ageing no loins from carcasses in the low stimulation treatment were rated by consumers to be unsatisfactory (P<0.05) compared with either non-stimulated (40%) or high-stimulated loins (35%). With respect to the effects of aging meat, electrical stimulation improved the consumer score at 2 days post-stunning by 8.9 and 4.7 points for tenderness and overall liking, respectively. Further linear improvements due to aging were similar for both electrical stimulation and unstimulated products. Under conditions of no electrical stimulation used in this experiment, 10 days aging results in tenderness and overall liking scores greater than 60 and with ES similar scores are achieved in 5 days. Consumer scores over 60 greatly reduce the chance of meat being classified as unsatisfactory.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document