Spain

MRI technology used to scan meat products for quality

MRI is no longer a technology used in medicine but also a quality marker for different meat products. Scientists at the University of Extremadura in Badajoz, Spain, have found a new purpose for the Magnetic Resonance Imaging machines, one that is already available for the meat industry.

Posted on Apr 15 ,06:37

Trinidad Perez-Palacios, one of the medics that discovered the new application for the MRI and a co-author for the method, explained the way the industry can take advantage of the technology already in use: “The technique allows knowing parameters such as the amount of fat, moisture, color and some sensory attributes of the product. And, in the case of ham, also monitoring the salt diffusion during the different stages of thematuration process”.

The advantage is that a producer of premium products, such as traditional ham (Jamon Iberico) or loins doesn’t have to alter the product to take a sample and analyze it for a test of quality. Using the same noninvasive way, as in medicine, the device developed for the meat industry can determine the quality characteristics without using another destructive method.

“We put at the disposal of the meat industry an effective method to obtain images of any meat piece - not only loins and hams - in a harmless and non-invasive way, allowing, in addition, its subsequent commercialization”, said Perez-Palacios.

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