Development of the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) prediction model for beef palatability

R. Watson; R. Polkinghorne; J. M. Thompson

doi:10.1071/EA07184

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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Development of the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) prediction model for beef palatability

R. Watson ^A ^D , R. Polkinghorne ^B and J. M. Thompson ^C

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.

^B Marrinya Agricultural Enterprises, 70 Vigilantis Road, Wuk Wuk, Vic. 3875, Australia.

^C Cooperative Research Centre for Beef Genetic Technologies, School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.

^D Corresponding author. Email: rayw@ms.unimelb.edu.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48(11) 1368-1379 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA07184
Submitted: 21 June 2007 Accepted: 18 July 2008 Published: 16 October 2008

Abstract

In this paper, the statistical aspects of the methodology that led to the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) prediction model for beef palatability are explained and described. The model proposed here is descriptive: its intention is to describe the large amounts of data collected by MSA. The model is constrained to accord with accepted meat science principles. The combined dataset used in development of the prediction model reported is around 32 000 rows × 140 columns. Each row represents a sample tasted by 10 consumers; each column specifies a variable relating to the sample tested. The developed model represents the interface between experimental data, scientific evaluation and commercial application. The model is used commercially to predict consumer satisfaction, in the form of a score out of 100, which in turn determines a grade outcome. An important improvement of the MSA model relative to other beef grading systems is that it assigns an individual consumer-based grade result to specific muscle portions cooked by designated methods; it does not assign a single grade to a carcass.

Additional keywords: Bos indicus content, carcass suspension and carcass weight cooking methods, consumer sensory testing, hormonal growth implants, ossification and marbling scores.

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