MIJ CAMERA IN ACTION
8th January saw a visit to Dovecote Park’s processing facility in Lincolnshire to look at the MIJ (Meat Image Japan) carcase camera in action. The visit was arranged around the availability of AWA (Australian Wagyu Association) carcase camera technician Aaron van den Heuvel, and held on the Monday morning to fit in with the Friday kill for Warrendale Wagyu, thus allowing time for the carcases to chill.
Dovecote Park carcase camera technician grading Warrendale Wagyu crosses using the MIJ Mobile camera. The technician first scans the barcode and then the ribeye ensuring full traceability between the carcase and the animal ID
To be able to get accurate images as well as compare results for different batches, it is important to standardise how and when the camera is used and remove any variables; this includes using the same trained personnel, ensuring accurate cutting at the 5th/6th rib and imaging the carcases at the same time post-slaughter. And to minimise issues such as ‘tearing’ of the ribeye which can make peaks and troughs which reflect the light, and avoid sheen or bone dust on the meat surface – all of which can impact the accuracy of the readings.
Close-up of a typical Wagyu-cross ribeye from Warrendale
What is MIJ?
MIJ (Meat Image Japan) mobile technology in essence consists of two parts: the hardware and the software. The hardware comprises a Google pixel phone, a ‘beak’ or metal casing to surround the phone, a cradle to hold the phone plus a light source. The software processes the image and objectively computes data such as ribeye area, marble fineness/coarseness, fat colour, fat percentage and so on. It also calculates DMs (Digital Marble Score), a composite trait made up of fat percentage, marbling fineness and fat colour. The equipment is portable, quick, easy-to-use and relatively inexpensive.
The MIJ camera delivers an instantaneous image (with ribeye area circled in green) as well as real-time carcase data. Here with a DMs (Digital Marble Score) of 7.39
Says British Wagyu Company Secretary Richard Saunders: “MIJ is the globally recognized, scientific leader in the objective measurement of beef. In Wagyu, marbling is king so by collaborating with MIJ, and through our partnership with the Australian Wagyu Association, the British Wagyu industry benefits from world-leading know-how and technology for measuring marbling in our Fullblood and crossbred cattle.”
Why is the MIJ data useful?
In essence, the MIJ camera gives you real-time information on the carcase. Commercial Wagyu schemes may choose to reward the producer with a marble score premium; others may wish to differentiate their product by quality and price.
But there is a wider benefit: Dr Kuchida, one of the main Japanese researchers for MIJ Imaging, has proven that not only is marbling fineness a heritable trait, but it also directly correlates to tenderness, taste, palatability, and visual value.
Furthermore, data can be linked back into ABRI’s Breedplan Performance Recording system to aid genetic improvement. Achieving marbling in Wagyu beef is determined by the genetics of the animal and the nutrition in the feeding programme. Having real-time MIJ carcase data on top of standard measurements such as daily liveweight gain, killing-out percentage, days to slaughter, carcase weight, fat class and conformation (EUROP grid), means a wealth of knowledge to drive improvement, performance and profitability through future breeding decisions to determine the animals that have a high potential for marbling.
AWA Chief Executive Matt McDonagh says: “There’s no doubt that the MIJ camera has been pivotal to the rapid genetic progress being made in Australian Wagyu. Since we started using the MIJ cameras in 2018, we now have over 30,000 Fullblood carcases within the AWA genetic evaluation system, and growing rapidly as more cameras are deployed. The strength of the camera-driven data shone through in the heritability of the trait involved (the amount of the measured variance that can be attributed to genetics). Since the adoption of MIJ, the heritability for marbling traits in Australian Wagyu has risen from about 0.3 (representing 30% genetic influence) up to 0.6 (60% of genetic influence). In Australia, marbling results in Fullblood Wagyu have gone from 7.3 average marbling score (DMs) to almost 8 just in the last 5 years.”
Representatives from Dovecote Park, Warrendale Wagyu and British Wagyu pictured with Aaron van den Heuvel (Australian Wagyu Association) during the visit on 8th January
In the UK, the MIJ camera is now entering its third full year since its first introduction in 2021 with 3 MIJ mobile cameras currently in use, and a number of orders and expressions of interest in the pipeline. Over 10,000 images have so far been captured. Adds Aaron van den Heuvel: “During my visit, it was great to see how passionate British Wagyu is about MIJ, and how serious everyone takes their roles and the goals they are wanting to achieve. It’s a real credit to the UK members, producers and processing personnel.”
To enquire about the MIJ camera please contact Richard Saunders info@britishwagyu.co.uk or Aaron van den Heuvel aaron@wagyu.org.au