RELIABLE and accurate technology to measure intramuscular fat in live sheep and lambs would be welcomed in Australia, according to leading seedstock producer and high eating quality lamb marketer Tom Bull.

Meat & Livestock Australia and the New Zealand-based technology company inMR recently released a report on the company‘s nuclear magnetic resonance Marbl technology that concluded “live sheep IMF measurements can be reliably obtained in the right circumstances.”

“Trials conducted provided confidence to the team that live IMF measurement in sheep is possible at reasonable speed given the right materials handling equipment,” was a study conclusion.

There is currently no commercial technology to measure IMF in live sheep and several carcase IMF measurement tools are being trialled in Australia abattoirs, including the MEQ Probe and microwave technology.

The ‘Intramuscular Fat Measurement for Live Sheep’ report said nuclear magnetic resonance tools have been used to measure IMF in carcases, and this project was undertaken to determine if the same technology could be used to measure IMF in live sheep.

A key finding was that “with good animal handling equipment and accurate positioning of the MarblTM sensor, measurement of IMF in live sheep is possible and at a sufficient throughput to make the technology viable.”

The study recommended that a prototype commercial system be developed to prove the animal handling and to validate the measurements against best practice. A specific smaller system could also be developed purely to enable research in genomics and IMF/eating quality.

MLA initially partnered with New Zealand-based technology company inMR Measure five years ago to develop an IMF measurement system for lamb carcases using NMR, the same technology that is used in MRI systems. MLA said this has been a successful partnership, with the first commercial installation expected in early 2025. The same technology has also shown potential for assessing IMF in live cattle.

MLA supply chain technology project manager Jack Cook said the Marbl sheep work compared live measure to benchtop NMR of meat samples post-slaughter.

“While not a gold standard measure similar to chemical IMF, this is proven be in the range of 99 percent accurate when compared to chemical IMF, so a very good, low cost substitute. See Fast non-destructive measurement of intramuscular fat in Australian beef and lamb using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technologies – ScienceDirect.

“Live data was collected day before slaughter so a good comparison to carcase data.”

Mr Cook said the sheep seedstock industry has shown interest in the Marbl technology.

“MLA and partner inMR are currently considering next steps for this technology, which will integrate with the seedstock industry.”

Industry needs reliable carcase and cuts-based IMF tools first

Sheep seedstock producer Tom Bull said it would brilliant to have technology that could accurately assess the IMF of lambs as a feedlot selection tool or select stud stock.

Mr Bull said the technology might help select lambs for lotfeeding that would “marble” for higher eating quality to access high-end markets.

Mr Bull recently circulated photographs of lambs showing 12pc IMF and is still researching a reliable measurement tool for assessing +6pc IMF in carcases and cuts.

“If you can find those lambs you can really start to finetune how much feed goes into them.”

However, he said the industry is struggling to measure marbling in lamb carcases so he managed it would be more difficult measure in live animals and is sceptical until it has been shown that it works.

“If you could measure all your live seedstock with an accurate marbling measurement that would be a huge benefit.

“Any technology that works would be fantastic.”

But Mr Bull said the industry still did not have technology to accurately measure lamb carcase IMF over 6pc.

“If our national average is 4pc IMF, you really want to take it above that.

“And when you look at what IMF12pc lamb looks like, imagine if we could take them out as well, there are just so many opportunities because we could segregate and value-add.”

Mr Bull said there is still a need for reliable chain-speed carcase and cuts-based IMF measurement tools.