WITH sheep meat returns having been at an all time high in WA over the past six months, workshops held across much of the agricultural area in that period by Elders in conjunction with Meat Standards Australia has been most timely.
The messages from these workshops to lamb and sheep meat producers has been the eating quality program which Meat Standards Australia (MSA) has established along with on farm practices and recommendations to optimise the eating quality of product produced.
MSA, a division of Meat and Livestock Australia, came into being from research and development in the late 90's and has been very successfully implemented into the beef industry however its application to lamb and sheep meat is relatively new, just under two years.
It has come about through research which has designed a Sheep Meat Eating Quality (SMEQ) program to define best practice procedures through the identification of critical control points of eating quality right through the chain, in other words, from paddock to plate.
That is, from production, mustering, transport, lairage, slaughter, storage and distribution to retail and feed service outlets and right down to the cooking of the product.
With a number of processors, retail and food service providers now MSA accredited, livestock supply co-ordinator for MSA nationwide, Mark Inglis was on hand at the recent workshops at four venues last week in WA to promote the benefits of MSA accreditation to producers and the part they need to play which will increase their returns from their product.
"Perhaps one factor which is least understood in sheep management is the effect certain aspects have on glycogen and pH levels," Mr Inglis said.
"Glycogen is the carbohydrate energy store of the muscle which is built up through the nutrition the animal receives and stress and physical exertion will deplete the animal's glycogen levels and as muscle glycogen decreases the pH rises with meat becoming increasingly dark cutting.
"High quality cuts normally have a pH below 5.7 and as pH rises to 6 and above, quality and dark cutting progressively worsens."
Mr Inglis said there were numerous aspects on the farm which can effect glycogen levels and resultant pH.
These include yard construction and maintenance, sheep handling techniques, shearing and crutching, dispatch to kill time interval requirements and availability to water and Mr Inglis then explained all these aspects in detail.
Those producers attending these workshops receive copies of the MSA Producer training manual which extensively outlines all aspects relative to MSA accredited product.
Producers are encouraged to register with MSA and obtain their registration number to be used with all consignments in conjunction with their NVD, however if producers are already MSA registered for beef production they need only quote their beef registration number with their lamb and sheep consignments.
At the recent meetings, representing the processors was Michael Pyke, Quality Assurance manager with DBC Bunbury.
Mr Pyke has had 40 years in the industry and said that most processors were encouraged to use MSA product in marketing to the food service industry.
"MSA product will eat nice and tender and juicy every time and that is what the food service industry wants," he said.
He also added that the MSA producer requirements were probably not much different than what most concerned producers were doing now.
"There is no premium being paid as yet for livestock from registered MSA producers, it might happen but it could be that livestock from non-registered MSA producers may be discounted," Mr Pyke said.
Speaking on behalf of Elders, regional livestock sheep co-ordinator Tim Spicer said his company had over the past six months held 14 of these workshops in conjunction with MSA from Carnamah to Mt Barker which had seen around 140 producers and 30 staff members participating.
"With WA processors now taking up MSA accreditation we believe that producers should also be made aware how they too can participate to ensure their product meets the standard so it also carries the MSA brand and that they are also maximising their returns for their enterprise," Mr Spicer said.
Email a friend