Meating the challenge
A major donation by Wesfarmers Limited to Murdoch University's Centre for Production Animal Research will fund livestock research benefiting both producers and consumers.
Livestock inspection at Murdoch University Farm Australians certainly enjoy a good piece of steak but in our health-conscious society most of us will at least trim off the fat.
Not so in Japan. In a land where food and dining is more like a religion, they not only like a bit of fat on their beef, they often like it rippled right throughout the meat.
This is called marbled beef -- so named because of the obvious appearance of the meat speckled with whites of fat.
While they may not be keen to buy marbled beef at the supermarket, Australian consumers also rate marbled beef as a deluxe product if served cooked. The level of marbling desired by consumers is not ridiculously high and can still fit within the National Heart Foundation guidelines.
South east Asians also have particular tastes when it comes to pork.
They probably will not jump at the thought of eating pork chops on an Australian dinner table.
This is because Asian consumers often find the smell of Australian pork offensive.
Unlike Asian piggeries, Australian pig farmers do not castrate their male pigs. The meat therefore sometimes takes on an odour, known as boar taint, the result of hormones released into the animal's body.
Another key attribute consumers can be fussy about is colour -- they prefer a bright red-coloured meat. They also appreciate other characteristics such as improved keeping quality and quicker cooking time.
Catering to the intricate tastes of local and overseas consumers is just one the areas where research into livestock production plays an important role.
Marbling meat, controlling boar taint or good meat colour can all be achieved through correct nutrition or special livestock handling procedures.
These are some of the challenges Murdoch University's Centre for Production Animal Research is focusing on.
The Centre recently got a boost when Wesfarmers Limited donated $250,000 through the Murdoch University Veterinary Trust. The money will be used to sponsor the position of the Centre's Deputy Director, Associate Professor in Nutrition and Biochemistry, David Pethick.
Wesfarmers Limited Managing Director Michael Chaney said that Wesfarmers welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the Centre for Production Animal Research.
"We regard this as a good investment in the future of the Western Australian livestock industry," he said.
Other examples of current projects at the Centre include research into parasite control of sheep, viral diseases of cattle, new pasture systems for the sand plains of WA, developing new and more efficient rumen bacteria, research into stomach ulcers and diarrhoea in pigs, swine dysentery, reduced egg production in chickens and footrot in sheep.
Another significant area of research was safety in livestock production -- the reduction of disease control through the use of diet and reduced transmission of disease from animals to human beings.
"It's all about product quality and product safety," said Professor Pethick. "The ultimate aim is to produce a better product both to be sold within Australia and overseas."
The risk to humans could be lowered if, by altering the diet of animals, scientists could prevent the colonisation of the animals' gut with pathogens harmful to humans, explained Professor Pethick.
For example, it had been found that a rice-based diet for pigs reduced some of the animal's infections and therefore lowered the chances of transmission to human beings.
While improving the quality of livestock is not a new area of research, the link between diet and disease is a relatively new expertise.
The field brings together a range of scientists such as nutritionists, microbiologists and scientists.
Professor Pethick is quick to acknowledge the collaboration of such disciplines at the Centre for Animal Production, which comprises researchers from the University of Western Australia, Agriculture WA and Murdoch University.
It is planned in the near future to formally link the three partners into a large WA Centre for Excellence so that the primary industries are best served by the researchers.
"We get all the different expertise to solve problems of animals production in Western Australia," said Professor Pethick.
"We are looking at tailoring livestock production in the State, especially for overseas markets where there is a premium for high quality."
Further information
Associate Professor David Pethick
Centre for Production Animal Research
Telephone (08) 9360 2246
email pethick@numbat.murdoch.edu.au