The construction of a sheepmeat eating quality prediction model for Australian lamb

The current sheep Meat Standards Australia (MSA) model is a pathways system designed to improve the overall eating quality of Australian lamb, yet it is unable to predict individual consumer-based eating quality scores for specific cuts. This paper describes the methodology of using consumer sensory scores to create an objective composite eating quality prediction score linked to individual quality grades for different cuts. This methodology accounts for objective carcass measures that are being commercialised within the industry, such as intramuscular fat percentage and a measure of lean meat yield percentage. The model demonstrated that through utilising these carcass grading traits, an eating quality prediction can be made with an accuracy of 75 % and 72 % for the grill and roast cooking method respectively, however individual consumer variation remained substantial. The model will allow the supply chain to allocate cuts to different marketing strategies (branding) based on their eating quality performance whilst also reducing the chances of consumers being offered products that do not meet their expectations.