MARBLING score metrics used for measuring intra-muscular fat could be missing the mark, according to a leading national meat researcher.

Participating in last week’s AMPC Innovation Showcase in Brisbane, Murdoch University’s Dr Graham Gardner warned that top-shelf Wagyu was outpacing standard IMF measurements.

Existing scoring is not differentiating high-marbled products because the measurement scale doesn’t go high enough, he said, adding that he is anticipating practice change within the next 12 months.

“Looking at the relationship between IMF and visual AusMeat marbling scoring – the (highest) AusMeat score of nine equates to 30 percent intra-muscular fat,” Dr Gardner said.

Graeme Gardner during last week’s AMPC Innovation Showcase panel session

However, leading entries in the Australian Wagyu Association’s annual branded beef competition now consistently exceeded 60pc IMF, he said.

“But a marbling score nine only equals 30pc IMF,” Dr Gardner said. “Under the current AusMeat grading system, we are not differentiating the value of this product going into high quality meat markets, like they do in Japan or Korea.

“So, if we could extend that trait and create marbling scores out to a value of 18, that could be predicted by an IMF measuring device, all of a sudden you’ve got the ability to differentiate,” he said.

Dr Gardner added that the high IMF trait predictability already exists in lamb.

“We’ve been able to accredit some technologies to predict it,” he said, endorsing the lamb MSA model.

Dr Gardner completed his address to last week’s AMPC innovation showcase by discussing the ability of DEXA to not only predict lamb carcase composition, but also eating quality.

“We’ve actually  improved the bone identification within those carcases and if you extract information from those bone-containing pictures, you can predict eating quality quite well,” he said.

In this case, bone measurement is providing a measurement of physiological maturity, similar to ossification used in beef measurement.

“What this means is that – in the future – we could roll out a brand-new measurement, plug it into that MSA model and enhance the prediction of eating quality,” Dr Gardner said.