Comparison of rankings for lean meat based on results from a CT scanner and a video image analysis system

The application of computer vision systems in meat science and industry - A review

Computer vision systems (CVS) are applied to macro- and microscopic digital photographs captured using digital cameras, ultrasound scanners, computer tomography, and wide-angle imaging cameras. Diverse image acquisition devices make it technically feasible to obtain information about both the external features and internal structures of targeted objects. Attributes measured in CVS can be used to evaluate meat quality. CVS are also used in research related to assessing the composition of animal carcasses, which might help determine the impact of cross-breeding or rearing systems on the quality of meat. The results obtained by the CVS technique also contribute to assessing the impact of technological treatments on the quality of raw and cooked meat. CVS have many positive attributes including objectivity, non-invasiveness, speed, and low cost of analysis and systems are under constant development an improvement. The present review covers computer vision system techniques, stages of measurements, and possibilities for using these to assess carcass and meat quality.

X-ray computed tomography for quality inspection of agricultural products: A review

The quality of agricultural products relates to the internal structure, which has long been a matter of interest in agricultural scientists. However, inspection methods of the opaque nature of internal information on agricultural products are usually destructive and require sample separation or preparation. X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) technology is one of the important nondestructive testing (NDT) technologies without sample separation and preparation. In this study, X-ray CT technology is used to obtain two-dimensional slice images and three-dimensional tomographic images of samples. The purpose of the review was to provide an overview of the working principle of X-ray CT technology, image processing, and analysis. This review aims to focus on the development of the agricultural products (e.g., wheat, maize, rice, apple, beef) and its applications (e.g., internal quality evaluation, microstructure observation, mechanical property measurement, and others) using CT scanner. This paper covers the aspects regarding the advantages and disadvantages of NDT technology, especially the unique advantages and limitations of X-ray CT technology on the quality inspection of agricultural products. Future prospects of X-ray CT technology are also put forward to become indispensable to the quality evaluation and product development on agricultural products.

The value of objective online measurement technology: Australian red meat processor perspective

In the past, the adoption of online measurement technologies for measuring carcass and meat quality traits objectively has been low among Australian red meat processors. The aim of the present work was to obtain a greater understanding of Australian processor views on the value of objective online measurement technologies. This was achieved through consultation with 65 Australian processors, to understand which carcass and meat quality traits they considered important to objectively measure and what they thought of current and future technologies. It was shown that beef processors ranked meat colour and tenderness as the most important traits (P < 0.001) to objectively measure online. Sheep processors ranked tenderness, pH, age, meat colour, total tissue depth at the 12th rib 110 mm from the midline (GR) and saleable meat yield percentage as the most important traits (P < 0.001) to objectively measure online. The overall processor responses indicated that there is support for online measurement technologies, with 80% of processors stating that online objective grading systems have a role in the Australian meat processing sector now and 88% considered these to have a role in the future. Much can be learned from the implementation of previous online objective measurement technologies by processors in terms of commercialisation and adoption strategies. The development and adoption of objective online measurement technologies is challenging and complex. However, increased adoption of online measurement technologies has the potential to achieve benefits to the whole of industry and needs continued support, coupled with new approaches to enhance adoption.

Differences in mitochondrial DNA inheritance and function align with body conformation in genetically lean and fat sheep

Body weight and adiposity are determined by the balance between energy intake, energy expenditure, and nutrient deposition. We have identified differences in appetite-regulating peptides in sheep selectively bred to be either lean or fat, wherein gene expression for orexin and melanin-concentrating hormone are elevated in the lean group. Despite this, the underlying mechanisms leading to differences in body composition in the lean and fat lines remains unknown. We measured postprandial temperature in adipose tissue and muscle to ascertain whether a difference in thermogenesis is associated with the difference in body composition in genetically lean (n = 8) and fat (n = 12) ewes. Body weight was higher (P < 0.01) but percent fat mass was lower (P < 0.001) in the lean group. The percent lean mass was similar in lean and fat groups. Animals received intracerebroventricular cannulae and temperature probes implanted into the retroperitoneal fat and the hind-limb skeletal muscle (vastus lateralis). Animals were meal fed (1100-1600 h) to entrain postprandial thermogenesis. Food intake was similar between lean and fat animals. Postprandial thermogenesis was greater (P < 0.05) in the retroperitoneal adipose tissue of lean animals but not in skeletal muscle. Intracerebroventricular infusion of leptin reduced (P< 0.05) food intake by an equal extent in both groups. Postprandial expression of UCP1 mRNA was greater (P < 0.05) in retroperitoneal fat of lean animals, with similar UCP3 expression in skeletal muscle. Mitochondrial genome sequencing indicated haplotypic clustering in lean and fat animals within both the encoding and nonencoding regions. This demonstrates that differences in body composition may be underpinned by differences in thermogenesis, specifically within adipose tissue. Furthermore, thermogenic differences may be associated with specific mitochondrial DNA haplotypes, suggesting a strong genetic component inherited through the maternal lineage.

Genome-wide association reveals QTL for growth, bone and in vivo carcass traits as assessed by computed tomography in Scottish Blackface lambs

BACKGROUND

Improving meat quality including taste and tenderness is critical to the protection and development of markets for sheep meat. Phenotypic selection for such measures of meat quality is constrained by the fact that these parameters can only be measured post-slaughter. Carcass composition has an impact on meat quality and can be measured on live animals using advanced imaging technologies such as X-ray computed tomography (CT). Since carcass composition traits are heritable, they are potentially amenable to improvement through marker-assisted and genomic selection. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on about 600 Scottish Blackface lambs for which detailed carcass composition phenotypes, including bone, fat and muscle components, had been captured using CT and which were genotyped for ~40,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using the Illumina OvineSNP50 chip.

RESULTS

We confirmed that the carcass composition traits were heritable with moderate to high (0.19-0.78) heritabilities. The GWAS analyses revealed multiple SNPs and quantitative trait loci (QTL) that were associated with effects on carcass composition traits and were significant at the genome-wide level. In particular, we identified a region on ovine chromosome 6 (OAR6) associated with bone weight and bone area that harboured SNPs with p values of 5.55 × 10(-8) and 2.63 × 10(-9), respectively. The same region had effects on fat area, fat density, fat weight and muscle density. We identified plausible positional candidate genes for these OAR6 QTL. We also detected a SNP that reached the genome-wide significance threshold with a p value of 7.28 × 10(-7) and was associated with muscle density on OAR1. Using a regional heritability mapping approach, we also detected regions on OAR3 and 24 that reached genome-wide significance for bone density.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified QTL on OAR1, 3, 24 and particularly on OAR6 that are associated with effects on muscle, fat and bone traits. Based on available evidence that indicates that these traits are genetically correlated with meat quality traits, these associated SNPs have potential applications in selective breeding for improved meat quality. Further research is required to determine whether the effects associated with the OAR6 QTL are caused by a single gene or several closely-linked genes.