New technology which measures tenderness of meat comes to Scotland

Meat processors in Scotland will be offered technology that for the first time will allow them to accurately measure the different factors, such as tenderness, colour and fat levels, that add up to overall quality, said The Scottish Government.

The project, run by Quality Meat Scotland, the Scottish red meat industry development body, and part-funded by the Scottish Government, will initially focus on beef but the aim is to extend it to lamb and pork.

QMS chairman Donald Biggar said: "Capturing this level of information and using it as a mechanism to further drive up the quality of beef produced across Scotland has the potential to revolutionise how we promote our Scotch Beef to consumers around the world."

Scotland's meat plants process around 8,500 prime beef carcases every week producing 2900 tonnes of meat each week. The turnover of the beef processing industry in Scotland is worth half a billion pounds annually.

Around 70% of all Scotch Beef produced in Scotland is sold in England. The European export market, which suffered a setback following the 2007 Foot and Mouth outbreak, is now back on track with increasing volumes being delivered to key markets in France, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Words: Maria Bracken

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