P8 and rib fat depth measurement on beef carcase using a portable microwave system

Non-invasive and non-destructive measurements of fat depth are sought after within the beef industries, as overfat carcases cause significant economic loss and wastage for processors. Within the Australian beef industry fat depth is measured manually, however this has the disadvantage of being destructive, subjective and time-consuming [1]. Since biological tissues in animals, feature a high contrast in their dielectric properties (skin, fat, and muscle) at microwave frequencies [2], this represents an opportunity to different fat from lean and thus estimate fat depth and body composition of carcases and live animals. This concept has been tested in lamb carcases where a low-cost portable Microwave System has been developed for measuring C-site back fat depth [3]. This paper details the testing of a similar device in beef, where we hypothesised that it would accurately predict P8 and rib fat depth in beef carcases.