Progress rural funds q-lamb meat tenderness project

2/3/00
The Western Australian lamb industry will benefit from a significant grant to the Q-Lamb alliance from the Progress Rural Western Australia program, initiated by Primary Industry Minister Monty House.
The alliance, between 150 producers, Narrogin processor Hillside Meats and several WA and NSW retailers, has been awarded $54,000 to purchase and evaluate electrical carcase stimulation equipment to improve meat quality.
Mr House said Progress Rural Western Australia had provided half the funds for the project, which would evaluate how electrically stimulating carcases could improve the tenderness, colour and taste of lamb.
"Electrical stimulation is used by the New Zealand meat industry and regularly in the beef industry," the Minister said.
"Progress Rural will enable the Q-Lamb alliance to buy the necessary electrical equipment and to follow the results right through to assess its influence on the eating quality of WA lamb."
Q-Lamb chairman Badgingarra lamb producer Graham Sutherland said preliminary work by Agriculture Western Australia and Murdoch University had shown that electrical stimulation helped to improve meat tenderness.
"Electrical stimulation would guarantee eating quality, regardless of the ageing process," Mr Sutherland said.
"This would reduce the significant costs associated with chiller ageing."
Mr House said all WA lamb producers would benefit from the Q-Lamb project, as the results would be shared throughout the industry.
"In the past the local lamb industry has been challenged by a seasonal supply," he said.
"But a consistent supply is possible, if all sectors of the industry work together to improve the efficiency of lamb production and marketing throughout the State."
Media contact: Julie Cole 9481 2044