A TEAM of students from the University of New England (UNE) fought it out in the annual Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging (ICMJ) meat judging contest in Wagga Wagga recently.
A total of 25 UNE students, supported by three coaches competed with students from around the globe, including the United States, Korea, Japan and Pakistan.
Contestants critiqued lamb, pork and beef hides, contemplating the trimness of the meat and the size and quality of cuts that could be taken from a carcass.
Students also judged retail cuts commonly seen in local butchers, supermarkets and restaurants, rating the quality of the meat and identifying the name of the cut, the animal it is from and where on the carcass, and how it’s best cooked.
Team coach Rozzie O’Reilly said the UNE team had shown dedication to the competition, training twice a week in the months leading up to the showdown in Wagga Wagga.
“There was 170 students vying for the title, including some internationals, so the competition was tough. But the UNE team put in the hard yards, they know their cuts and can recognise quality when they see it,” Ms O’Reilly said.
The UNE team achieved success winning the ‘Eating Quality Class’ category. The team included: Liz Crerar, Emily Hall, Molly van Hemert and Fred Broughton.
Three UNE students also placed in the top 10 – Emily Hall, Liz Crerar and Fred Broughton. They will be off to Brisbane later in the year for a-week long training, in pursuit of selection in the 2014 Australian Team.
Far from being a novelty event, Ms O’Reilly said meat judging was a crucial skill in the meat and livestock industry.
“It’s vitally important to determine the value of a carcass. Different markets value different traits: Australian’s prefer a leaner cut, while many overseas markets value a more marbled, fatty cut,” she said.
“The difference in sale price can be in the thousands.
“Meat judging is also a valuable step in breeding and feeding programs – understanding the traits and practices that lead to great cuts of meat,” Ms O’Reilly said.
