How does the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading system for beef and lamb work?

Anthony Puharich a 5th generation Australian butcher meets with Lachlan Graham, an Australian beef and lamb producer and proprietor of Argyle Prestige Meats to find out how meat is graded using the the Meat Standards Australia system. It all began in 1996 when the Australian industry embarked on one of the largest consumer research projects in history. Over 100,000 people tasted and rated almost 700,000 beef and lamb samples so we could understand exactly what's required to produce the great quality meat. From this research we developed the Meat Standards Australia system. The research told us that the most important factors to take into consideration were meat colour, PH or acidity, marbling, fat coverage, weight and age of the animal. It also covered other things like breed, nutrition and how well the animals are raised and handled because stressed animals result in dark, tough meat. Everyone involved with the MSA program, from the farmer to where you buy your quality meat is licensed, accredited and audited to make sure the integrity of the MSA symbol stays true and all our hard work pays off. So as you can see it's the years of research and thousands of dedicated people across the entire industry working together to make sure you can choose the best cuts of beef and lamb and cook them the right way. That's why you should always look for the MSA symbol to enjoy great tasting beef and lamb meals every time.