WHAT IS MSA? :
Meat Standards Australia (MSA) is the culmination of many years of research, testing the on-farm, processing, carcase, breeds, ageing and cooking effects to determine their individual and collective effect on eating quality.
The MSA system began as an industry program, which commenced in 1996 following detailed consumer research investigating the continuing decline in beef consumption. The key problems identified in MSA research were a reduced level of cut and cooking
knowledge among consumers and the degree of quality variation in the beef available.
The MSA grade is established by calculating both the direct and interactive effects of all the factors tested and proven to vary eating quality. Over 57,000 consumers have participated in MSA consumer sensory panels providing scores on 400,000 beef samples from 40,000 cuts. (May 2003). This allows MSA grading to provide a consumer guarantee
of eating quality at four levels in conjunction with cooking method to provide consumers with all they need to know about purchasing and preparing beef with confidence.
MSA is a valuable asset to the Australian beef industry, providing opportunities to differentiate product in the market. Unlike existing industry description systems, MSA accurately predicts eating quality for individual beef muscles.
The complex series of factors which result in the eating quality of a beef meal are taken into account in the MSA production and grading process. This solves the longstanding consumer problems of selecting beef and choosing an appropriate cooking method.
KEY POINTS :
• MSA removes the need for consumers to have specialist beef knowledge.
• MSA retail labels advise the correct cooking method for every piece of beef and guarantee the eating quality result.
• MSA product must meet consumer set standards at one of three quality levels: MSA 3 (Tenderness Guaranteed), MSA 4 (Premium Tenderness) or MSA 5 (Supreme Tenderness).
• MSA involves all sectors of the beef production chain, from paddock to plate.
• MSA provides detailed feedback on eating quality to the processor, feedlot and the producer.
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