Using the power of AI in meat grading

Following its AUS-MEAT accreditation, MEQ Probe has announced the launch of the MEQ Camera technology for grading meat quality.

The Australian-built, AI-enabled technology is the first to use video to grade the quality of meat. It consists of a smartphone application that uses a phone’s camera to segment muscle on a cut of meat in real time. It uses AI to give the solution stronger integrity as it grades from data-rich video instead of still images.

The MEQ Camera also received conditional accreditation from AUS-MEAT for the meat colour (1C-7) and Eye Muscle Area traits. While the company’s fully accredited MEQ Probes for lamb and beef provide hot carcase measurements (meaning no chilling of meat is needed) the Camera provides cold carcase yield and eating quality measurements. Little specialist training is needed to operate the technology and the immediacy of the results means that processors can share insights quickly through the supply chain. It also allows for increased consistency, which ensures the industry can deliver on its brand promises with confidence.

Beef processors have been trialling the technology, with Greenhams using the camera for several months and Australian Country Choice testing it for over a year.

MEQ Probe CEO Remo Carbone said it has always been a priority of the company to harness the power of AI and machine learning in its operation to push the boundaries of what is possible in the space.

A video of the MEQ Camera in action can be viewed here, with the technology being used to grade a cut of rib eye live. The numbers at the bottom show the grade given to the cut by a grading expert (left), with the Camera's live grade next to it (right).