To assure the quality of meat consumed in Australia, strict standards need to be maintained the entire way from paddock to plate.

Meat Standards Australia (MSA) is a grading system proven to take the guesswork out of buying and cooking Australian beef and lamb. All products identified with the MSA symbol have met strict criteria to ensure they achieve consumer expectations for tenderness, juiciness and flavour. When a cut of beef or lamb meets the MSA standard it is cut to, or labelled with a recommended cooking method which confirms that the cut has achieved the standard for eating quality when prepared by the recommended cooking method.

In Australia, cattle that meet the MSA requirements are graded at MSA-licensed abattoirs. From here, a National Vendor Declaration and an MSA Vendor Declaration are checked by graders and livestock personnel and sent with the cattle after. Each carcase is graded by an MSA accredited grader with an eating quality grade assigned for each individual cut. An MSA index value is generated for every carcase that meets MSA minimum requirements. A carcase ticket is populated with the following fields as the final record:

  • Body number and lot number – cattle from individual vendors will be kept in separate lots
  • Carcase weight – important in determining a weight for maturity
  • Meat Colour – recorded using AUS-MEAT standard meat colour chips
  • Tropical breed content – the hump height is also measured to guarantee the most accurate eating quality grade
  • Ossification – measured to determine carcase maturity
  • Rib fat – a minimum of 3mm is required, measured at the AUS-MEAT standard site. The overall fat cover is also assessed including any hide puller damage
  • Hanging method – determined as being either Achilles hang or tender stretch
  • Hormonal growth promotants – will affect the MSA score obtained for different muscles
  • Marbling – using both the MSA and AUS-MEAT measurement systems
  • pH and temperature – pH is measured using a pH meter and must be below 5.71. The temperature should be below 12 degrees according to AUS-MEAT standards.

If the carcase meets all MSA and company requirements after the above assessment, it is then eligible to have cuts packed and sold.

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