This document discusses Meat Standards Australia (MSA) compliance rates in Western Australia (WA). It notes that in 2009/2010, over 1 million head of cattle were graded in WA, with 17.3% of cattle graded and 87.4% meeting MSA specifications. "Dark cutting," or high pH meat with lower eating quality, is identified as a key reason for non-compliance. The causes of dark cutting are explored, with low muscle glycogen levels from inadequate nutrition and management identified as the underlying issue. Strategies to address dark cutting like improving pasture quality and cattle growth rates through additional feeding are recommended.

1. Meat Standards Australia in
Western Australia
K. Thomson
September 2010

2. • Uses critical control point approach to
manage & predict eating quality
• Identifies eating quality of individual muscles
• Identifies product will not meet minimum
eating quality standards
Meat Standards Australia

3. 1. Overview - WA MSA
• 2009/10 > 1 million head graded
• 17.3% of cattle graded, 87.4% met MSA specs
• 2004/05 grading % WA = 40%, NSW = 8% & QLD = 6%
Source: MSA

4. 2. WA MSA Compliance
Source: MSA database

5. 2008-2009
0
2
4
6
8
10
1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Reason for ungrade
%ofcattleungraded
WA
National
Grade Code Key
9. Hide puller damage
8. Outside AUSMEAT specifications
7. Miscellaneous
6. Fails company specifications
5. Meat colour 1A or greater than 3
4. pH greater than 5.70
3. Fat distribution
1. Fat depth
Source: MSA database
2. WA Compliance
2008/09

6. 2. pH & meat colour
High pH ‘dark cutting’
= lower eating quality
- High water holding capacity
= less juicy
- Increased bacterial growth
= reduced shelf life
- Cooking inconsistencies and reduced
tenderness

7. 3. The cost of non-
compliance

8. 4. Fixing dark cutting
Its all about muscle glycogen!
Glycogen levels are determined on farm
Nutrition
Nutrition:
• Fill the bucket
up
Management:
• Stop it leaking
Handling
Stress
Time off
feed
MUSCLEMUSCLE
GLYCOGENGLYCOGEN
Mixing Stress

9. What is required to fill up the
bucket?
Weight gain of 0.8 to 1.0kg/day
= high quality pasture
(>10.0MJ/kg DM)
or
= additional supplementation
Metabolisable
Energy
Muscle
Glycogen
4. Fixing dark cutting

11. 4. Fixing dark cutting
Digestibility decline of annual grasses and clovers
in a Mediterranean climate
source: M. Hyder, DAFWA

12. What are the causes of our dark cutting issues?
• Are we trying to beat the end of the season & overestimating
pasture quality?
4. Fixing dark cutting
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
1 Oct 22 Oct 12 Nov 3 Dec
DryMatterDigestibility(%)
Kojonup
Harvey
Moora

13. What are the causes of our dark cutting issues?
• Are we trying to beat the end of the season &
overestimating pasture quality?
• Are we constrained by our production systems?
– Constraints - calving time, growing season etc.
– Industry integration
• Are we measuring our performance appropriately?
4. Fixing dark cutting

14. Maximising compliance in 2010
• Action is required now to reduce dark cutting:
– Develop feed budgets & identify cost-effective finishing
strategies – Can you achieve the product with your
production system?
– Pastures – When has digestibility reached critical points
(<70%)
– Achieve required growth rates – Are you weighing?
– Manage cattle to minimise stress (time of feed, handling
& mixing)
4. Fixing dark cutting

15. Thank you
http://www.mla.com.au