Teagasc scientists lead the way

New technology developed by scientists at the Teagasc National Food Centre could significantly benefit the beef industry.

Involving hot boning and an improved packing system, it has the potential to enhance the tenderness of beef.

Declan Troy, Teagasc, said it could also cut processing costs and deliver a more uniform product to the consumer.

The conventional way of handling beef is for the carcass to be chilled immediately after slaughter, for up to 48 hours. It is then boned and the meat is allowed to age or mature for up to 14 days. However, with the new system, high value cuts are removed from the carcass within one and a half hours of slaughter.

Mr Troy said, through a process called PiVac, the meat is then sucked into a tube of elasticated packaging, which effectively means it cannot get tough. They call the resulting meat TenderBound.

Consumer testing and scientific measurements show a more consistently tender product than with the conventional chilling system.

Other potential advantages are longer shelf-life, a reduced interval between slaughter and sale, reduced refrigeration costs, lower weight losses and less labour.

The research, supported by the National Development Plan, is being carried out in conjunction with a major German engineering company.