A pioneering project was launched to see whether cutting-edge technology could identify sheep breeds, ages and pastures.
The National Sheep Association (NSA) pioneering new initiative will explore whether advanced technology can be used to accurately trace the meat of sheep to its breed, age and location of grazing.
The purpose of this project is to prove that meat traceability, including flavour properties, is technically feasible and commercially viable, opening up new possibilities for consumer choice and confidence for British lamb and mutton.
“Not all meats are the same, and the main factors that affect the flavor are the age of the animal, its breed and environment,” says NSA Project Manager Nicola Noble.
“There are many types of apples, but lamb meat is rarely advertised as anything other than lamb.
“We need to embrace diversity within the UK sheep sector and ensure that the public can appreciate the various tastes, flavors and textures that arise from that diversity.”
Currently, the lack of cost-effective technology has hampered a wide range of verification of meat origin and quality.
The first phase of the NSA project will try out blockchain’s “decentralized ledger” technology in a short, simple supply chain aimed at building a reliable traceability framework from farm to fork.
Mass spectrometry is used to analyze meat samples to identify unique phospholipid patterns for each animal.
These chemical “fingerprints” are expected to reflect species, breeding, feed, age, grazing location and ultimately flavor profiles.
“This is the first phase of testing blockchains in a short, simple supply chain,” explained Mrs. Noble.
“The outcome should go on to greater work to give confidence to people within the supply chain who claim that claims made with meat are purely explained and develop easy-to-use meat traceability systems.”
NSA CEO Phil Stocker highlighted the promise of new technology to support accurate food labeling.
He noted the special connections to test the claims of origin that “current analytical methods are too complicated and expensive for official labs to use for enforcement.”
“Combining digital end-to-end traceability with confirmed chemical analytics gives consumers confidence in where their meat comes from.
The NSA is currently looking for farmers at this feasibility stage, focusing on three native varieties from a particular region: Swaredales in Yorkshiredale, Hardwick in Cumbria and Blackface in Scotland.
Farmers supplying lambs, hoggets and mutton samples will receive postage and payments to cover participation.
Interested people can contact Anna Wilson at NSA Technical Communications Officer Anna@nationalsheep.org.uk.
