Dave Pethick Lis Pannier & the Sheep CRC Meat Science Team

1. The latest eating quality science managing intramuscular fat and tenderness to improve the consumer eating experience Dave Pethick Lis Pannier & the Sheep CRC Meat Science Team

2. Topics Meat Standards Australia – history/current New traits Shear force tenderness Intramuscular fat MSA consumer taste panel Predicting consumer taste panel response MSA lamb Mark II – what it might look like ?

3. Where have we come from ?

4. 1997/98 retail audit – Safari et al. (2002) n = 907 Lamb loin tenderness in the 90’s

5. Tenderness (0 – 100) Juiciness Liking of flavour Overall liking UnsatisfactoryGoodevery day Betterthan every day Premium Science is recognised world wide MSA - underpinned by consumer testing

7. Real people – real answers !

8. Critical Control Points Conception Pre-slaughter control Post-slaughter control Genetics Sheep age Hang Growth path (feed type & finishing) Chillers Ageing of meat Intramuscular fat Cut/ primal Selling method Value adding Pre-slaughter stress Cooking method Consumer Tenderness Juiciness Flavour Overall Liking

9. Meat Standards Australia lamb

11. MSA lamb - current • Consumer focused model to underpin the eating quality of lamb • It is a simple ‘in/out’ system with ‘rules’ for • Producers • Processors • Retailers

12. Requirementseg • Fat score - GR ≥ 6mm (≥score 2) • No eruption of permanent incisor teeth • pH x temperature requirements (e-stimulation) • Aging of meat for 5 days • ………

13. Change is possible MSA data (2005) n = 806, optimal processing, fat & pH compliant

14. What’s missing ? • Continuous improvement • Genetic effects • Carcase grading • Cuts grading

15. The Information Nucleus(500 sires, 10,000 slaughter lambs) DORPER

16. New traits (i) intramuscular fat • Juiciness, flavour, tenderness • 4.2 ± 0.04% (Xbred mean) • Ideal 4-6% • Mod/high heritability • Called marbling in beef

17. New traits (ii) shear force tenderness • Mechanical measure of Tenderness (kg or Newtons) • Higher value = tougher • Measured after electrical stimulation and 5 days aging • Gene markers for this trait in sheep (& beef) • Intramuscular fat reduces it • Mod/high heritability

18. Important correlations – genetic(2 years data 183 sires, 4,110 progeny) • LMY vs IMF -vemod/high BAD • LMY vs SF5 +ve mod BAD • IMF vs SF5 -ve high GOOD LMY = lean meat yield SF5 = Shear force tenderness day 5 IMF = intramuscular fat

19. So single focused selection on LMY will: • Increase shear force (tougher) • Reduce intramuscular fat (less juicy, less flavour & tougher) • BUT LMY is totally important for lamb So how can we protect eating quality ?

20. Evolve an MSA Mark II • Evolve an enhanced MSA lamb model • Incorporating new Sheep CRC information • Manage yield and eating quality • Cuts grading

21. Eating quality • But what does shear force and IMF mean to consumers ? • Will they pay more ? • ……

22. MSA Lamb mark II Grade cuts into: 2* - Unsatisfactory 3* - Good every day 4* - Better than every day 5* - Premium

23. Willingness to pay data(Price relative to 3*, n = number consumers) Australian consumers - lamb 3 star 4 star 5 star

24. Sire variation – consumer tenderness(Pannier et al. unpublished) Topside tenderness Loin tenderness 97 sires, 745 lambs, 2 cuts per lamb, grilled

25. Sire variation – consumer tenderness 16 points Topside tenderness 12 points Loin tenderness

26. Likely sufficient to change rating 2* unsatisfactory 3* good every day 4* better than every day 5* premium

27. Sire variation – consumer tenderness 3* 4* 5* Topside tenderness Loin tenderness

28. Sire variation – consumer tenderness 3* Topside tenderness 2* Loin tenderness

29. Remember - this is with ‘optimal’ processing All carcases had e-stimulation Product aged for 5 days

30. What did consumers say about the 2 cuts ? Distribution of grades (745 lambs per cut) 2* 3* 4* 5* Short lion - 7 34 35 24 % Topside - 29 48 17 5 % Can we predict this grade ?

31. IMF vs MSA consumer score IMF nails juicy and flavour 6 9 9 11

32. Shear force vs MSA consumer score Shear force nails tenderness 11 7 6 6

33. Other correlates • Carcase fatness • Carcase muscling • Lean meat yield • Carcase wt • Colour • …………

34. MSA Mark II • Currently too hard to measure shear force or intramuscular fat in the abattoir • Currently cannot grade a lamb carcasecommercially • So EQ claims will be underpinned by: • in part the sires used • ideally carcase measures

35. Consumer score breeding value • Use std genetic techniques to develop a consumer score breeding value for sires: • Consumer score • Shear force tenderness • Intramuscular fat • Lean Meat Yield • Other correlates ………… • Support with genomic prediction • Use the breeding value to underpin quality claims

36. MSA Mark II – 2nd phase Grade individual carcases for LMY and meat quality • Develop better LMY prediction ‘on line’ • Develop meat quality and IMF measurement ‘on line’ • GR fat-o-meter II probe with electrical impedance • Wide wavelength vision system • Rhaman spectroscopy These are AMPC/MLA projects in progress

37. Conclusions • Current MSA system is a simple no brainer • Processors/retailers are seeing the benefits • We still need producers to sign up – do it today ! • However it does not allow for continuous improvement and lean meat yield interactions

38. Conclusions • Meat science phenotypes - shear force tenderness and intramuscular fat • Heritable • We know the key production factors that effect them • Predictive of the consumer score • Interact with lean meat yield • We will be able to develop a consumer score breeding value

39. Conclusions • MSA mark II underpinned by consumer score sire breeding value • Cuts based grading down star ratings • Will allow us to select for Lean Meat Yield and Eating quality together

40. Conclusions • Processors to their credit are investing in R&D for better carcase measurement systems • Are we heading for carcase grading at last ? • Lean meat yield • Eating quality

41. Aussie lamb - premier meat on the Planet! Questions…

42. Quick reality check Getting 4* cuts in moderatecarcase wt Sth beef • Optimal processing ✔ • No hormones ✔ • Get’em young (< about 140 oss = 18-24 months) ✔ • Have just enough marble = solid score 1 (4-6% IMF) ✔

43. Other correlates e.g LMY vs IMF IMF breeding value LMY breeding value