The Wales Rural Network attended a BeefQ session at Machynlleth Rugby Club on the 23 January 2020.
The BeefQ project, led by the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University in collaboration with industry partners, is conducting research to implement an eating quality assessment system in Wales to promote the eating quality and value of Welsh Beef. Consumer research, as well as the Welsh Beef Sector Review of 2014, identified eating quality as a key factor in purchasing decisions, with shoppers willing to pay higher prices for better quality beef. The project is supported by the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.
Its aim is to develop a meat eating quality grading system for Wales based on the very successful Meat Standards Australia system for predicting meat eating quality. Key to this is translating the data collected from visually grading Welsh beef carcases for eating quality during processing, into an eating quality experience for consumers. A broad range of over 2000 carcases have been graded by trained MSA graders in processing plants processing PGI Welsh Beef. Samples from this range of different carcase types, cuts and hanging methods are now being presented to consumers to taste and evaluate under controlled conditions. These tasting events last one hour and consumers are presented with seven samples of cooked meat and asked to score them according to “taste, tenderness and juiciness.” This information is then used to build an eating quality evaluation system for Wales.
As well as building the meat eating quality prediction model for Wales, the project has also trained processing plant personnel and industry representatives in the various aspects of eating quality grading and these individuals are now using their knowledge to inform colleagues and industry of the practical elements of predicting meat eating quality. A prototype data sharing system will also be developed based on interviews with processors and workshops with farmers to identify the most effective way of sharing eating quality data to improve the quality of beef produced in Wales over time. The final activity in the project is to facilitate an industry wide discussion on how an eating quality prediction system is best taken forward in Wales, post BeefQ.
More information on the project and various press releases are available on our website www.beefq.wales, we are also on Twitter @BeefQWales. You can subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter via the BeefQ web pages.