AUSTRALIA’S feedlot sector was at the forefront of moves to establish a meat eating quality program.
The Australian Lot Feeders Association created the first independent quality grading system when Australian Meat Standards, headed up by Dian Coffey, was formed.
Original work through AMS was eventually absorbed into MSA.
Then came the MSA pathways committee – a group of scientists looking at what the data said and using that to set the initial standards for the program.
Key scientists involved have included John Thompson, Robyn Warner, Ray Watson, Mary Rooke, Judy Philpott, Dave Pethick and Janine Lau.
A lot of early work went into coming up with rigorous consumer protocols that are still in use today, according to the pathways committee chairman Dr Rod Polkinghorne.
Over the years, the standards have evolved as more and more science has come to hand, and the number of MSA pathways has grown exponentially.