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Changes to the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) model, Vendor Declaration Form and myMSA will begin being rolled out from March 2020.

Here’s what you need to know.

MSA Program Manager Sarah Strachan said the beef model updates incorporated findings from five years of research.

“The research was reviewed by the independent scientists on our MSA R&D Pathways Committee, who then recommended ways the results could be incorporated in an MSA beef model update,” she said.

But for now Ms Strachan said MSA-registered cattle producers don’t need to do anything – just be aware that changes are coming.

What’s changing?

• New myMSA features and look: producers will see the updated myMSA from 9 March 2020. The refreshed platform will also give producers access to the new Opportunity Index on cattle that did not meet MSA minimum requirements, giving an indication of the potential value of those carcases if the reasons for non-compliance had been addressed.
• Hump height will be used as a direct predictor of eating quality: while hump height has always been measured as part of MSA, it will now be used as a direct predictor of eating quality rather than an estimate of tropical breed content.
• The number of ‘cut by cook’ combinations will increase from 169 to 275: this will give new secondary cut options to the foodservice industry and provide increasingly popular cooking methods such as sous vide and combi-oven roasting.
• A revised MSA Vendor Declaration Form: the form will simplify how producers record tropical breed content and it will provide an option for owners who use agistment or custom feeding to receive direct carcase feedback through the myMSA feedback portal.

The new Form will be available from 1 July 2020 in both hardcopy and electronic formats. Though MSA-registered producers will not need to instantly transition to the new MSA Declaration Form when it becomes available. Earlier versions of the MSA Declaration will be accepted until producers run out of their current versions.