Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry predicts lamb carcass composition at abattoir chain speed with high repeatability across varying processing factors

Stephen Louis Connaughton; Andrew Williams; Fiona Anderson; Khama R Kelman; Jarno Peterse; Graham Edwin Gardner

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2020.108413

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry predicts lamb carcass composition at abattoir chain speed with high repeatability across varying processing factors

Meat Sci. 2021 Nov:181:108413. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2020.108413. Epub 2020 Dec 25.

Authors

Stephen Louis Connaughton¹, Andrew Williams², Fiona Anderson², Khama R Kelman³, Jarno Peterse³, Graham Edwin Gardner²

Affiliations

¹ Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia; Advanced Livestock Measurement Technologies, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia. Electronic address: s.connaughton@murdoch.edu.au.
² Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia; Advanced Livestock Measurement Technologies, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia.
³ Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia.

PMID: 33423831
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2020.108413

Abstract

An on-line Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scanner was used in an Australian abattoir to predict computed tomography (CT) determined composition % of fat, lean muscle and bone in lamb carcasses at chain speed. This study assessed the effect of spray-chilling on these estimates, as well as their repeatability over a 10-min period, and over a 72 h period. There was no prediction bias between the 15 spray-chilled and 15 non-spray-chilled carcasses. When repeat DEXA scans were undertaken across a 10-min period, there was a high level of repeatability for the prediction of CT Fat %. When repeat scans were conducted at 6 time points across a 72 h period the precision of the DXA prediction of CT Fat % of 30 carcasses remained high (R² = 0.94, RMSEP = 1.20%), although small biases existed between time points (P < 0.01). These biases were minimised when the DXA scanner had been operational prior to experimentation, suggesting a 'warm-up' effect.

Keywords: Bias; Computed tomography; DXA; Lamb; Repeatability.

MeSH terms

Abattoirs*
Absorptiometry, Photon / methods
Absorptiometry, Photon / veterinary*
Adipose Tissue*
Animals
Body Composition
Muscle, Skeletal
Red Meat / analysis*
Sheep, Domestic
Tomography, X-Ray Computed