The Clarospec technology uses non-invasive hyperspectral imaging to take measurements of a cut of meat during processing, focused on key aspects such as structure and composition that influence flavour and texture. The technology has the potential to objectively identify and create opportunities to reward those farmers who produce meat quality most aligned to consumer needs.
Judges at the recent Food Fibre & Agritech Supernode Challenge were so impressed with Clarospec that they named it overall winner in the On-farm Systems category, and winner of the Research category, from a pool of more than 50 entries.
“With the rising trend of `flexitarian' diets globally, many consumers are eating less red meat but expecting higher quality when they do so” says AgResearch senior scientist Cameron Craigie.
“The inspiration behind Clarospec is the fact that 40 million lambs are produced annually in Australasia, yet the industry struggles to tailor production specifically to changing consumer demands for quality and functionality. The challenge is the lack of real-time objective measurement systems at processing. We believe the Clarospec technology will support the shift towards higher value and allow lamb producers to tailor production to meet the needs of global consumers.”
You can hear more about Clarospec in an interview with Cameron Craigie on the Sarah’s Country podcast here(external link).
If you want to know more, you can contact Cameron Craigie.