Meat Standards Australia (MSA)

Click here to download the 2015 MSA Australian Beef Eating Quality Audit

Meat Standards Australia (MSA) is a beef (and sheepmeat) eating quality program designed to take the guesswork out of buying and cooking Australian red meat.

MSA involves all sectors of the supply chain from paddock to plate.

A wide range of cattle and sheep management practices, processing systems, cuts, ageing periods and cooking methods have been researched to determine the impact each has on eating quality.

MSA graded beef is labelled with a grade and recommended cooking method that identifies the eating quality of a cut of beef according to standards developed by consumer taste panels.

All beef underpinned by the MSA symbol has met strict criteria to ensure it meets consumer expectations for tenderness, juiciness and flavour.

Developing the MSA Standard

Research shows that an enjoyable meal experience is of paramount importance to Australian beef consumers.

They expect a tender, tasty, juicy cut of beef at every meal occasion.

To develop the MSA standards over 86,000 consumers participated in taste panels sampling 603,000 individual beef samples to identify the key factors that deliver consistent quality beef.

How the MSA grade is calculated

MSA Certified Graders collate information provided from the cattle producer, supervise processing standards and assess each individual carcase on its attributes known to influence the eating quality of beef including meat colour, marbling, fat depth, carcase weight, maturity and ultimate pH.

Take a look at how a carcase is graded to Meat Standards Australia specifications by clicking here.

Integrity

All participants in the program are licensed to use the MSA Trademark, and certify products via an approved Quality Management System in accordance with the MSA Standards Manual.

Licensees are subject to independent random audit programs for compliance to the Standards.

MSA Standards are backed by independent audit to the AS/NZS ISO 9001/2008 Standard.

Using the MSA Index

The MSA Index is a single number and standard national measure of the predicted eating quality and potential merit of a carcase.

Click here for more information

Cooking with Beef

The Main Meal website is brought to you by Meat & Livestock Australia, the marketing, research and development service company for Australia’s cattle producers.

Here you’ll find information, recipes, and nutritional facts about Australian beef.

Whether its a warm and comforting casserole meal, or you’re firing up the barbeque to feed a crowd, there’s something for you.