AI smartphone app rates quality of meat

Want to know the fat content of your steak? A new AI smartphone app can help.

Want to know the fat content of your steak? There’s an app for that.

Australian ag-tech company MEQ has been granted accreditation from standards regulator AUS-MEAT for a camera-based smartphone application that can tell meat processors about the quality of their cuts.

While the phone’s camera scans the steak, the app uses artificial intelligence to grade the marbling in the meat.

The MEQ Camera technology will be officially unveiled at The Australian’s Global Food Forum in Melbourne on Thursday.

 

MEQ chief executive Remo Carbone, who will be part of a Global Food Forum panel on the use of technology in agriculture, said AI could offer a solution to Australia’s high processing costs.

“Australia possesses a remarkable global reputation in agriculture, yet hurdles lie ahead,” Mr Carbone said. “The substantial expenses associated with processing, raw materials and energy can impede our progress.

“The transformative power of AI presents an opportunity to unlock our full potential. Through the effective utilisation of AI, we stand to gain a wealth of information, enhanced transparency and, ultimately, improved profit margins that will positively impact every stakeholder within the industry, ranging from smaller enterprises to industry leaders.”

The MEQ app is the first of its kind to grade the quality of meat using video, and also the first to gain AUS-MEAT accreditation.

After the meat is scanned and analysed by the AI software, the program delivers a score based on marbling and fat colour.

MEQ says the app can be operated with little training and can give processors confidence about the objective quality assessment of their meat.

“We are thrilled to hear that our cutting-edge solutions continue to be recognised by AUS-MEAT for their accuracy and objectivity,” Mr Carbone said.

“Harnessing the power of AI and machine learning has always been a priority for us.”