Boulder, Colo., — December 15, 2006 — Analytical Spectral Devices, Inc. (ASD), a leading manufacturer of precision analytical instruments for real-time material analysis solutions announces the release of a commercial application for the accurate real-time prediction of tenderness in beef. Working with ASD, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) researchers (Drs. Mohammad Koohmaraie, Steven Shackelford and Tommy Wheeler) have spearheaded the design and development of the QualitySpec® BT (beef tenderness) system.

After decades of research, the system represents ground-breaking and non-invasive technology that enables beef processors to accurately predict meat tenderness quality in real-time at the processing plant, before distribution to consumer outlets. The QualitySpec® BT system was successfully installed at a major meat production facility earlier this year, and has been in commercial production for several months.

The United States has been on a grading system based on the amount of intramuscular fat, or marbling, of meat for several decades but since marbling explains only a small percentage of the variation in meat tenderness, it is not a good predictor of meat tenderness. QualitySpec® BT technology allows processors to certify a carcass as tender well before it arrives on consumers’ tables.

The technology utilizes an ASD Vis/Near Infrared (NIR) instrument that is integrated into the processing system. Beef processors can read the ribeye at a cut between the 13th and 14th rib, and then more accurately predict the overall tenderness of that carcass while still on the processing line, thereby creating a new standard for beef quality assurance.

“Right now, neither Select nor Choice cuts of beef can be guaranteed tender. From extensive USDA research, tenderness is the most sought-after guarantee for all levels of the meat industry’s sales cycle, and surveys show that consumers are willing to pay a premium for meat that is guaranteed tender,” said ASD’s Director of Business Development Michael Lands. “The processor now has a real-time indicator of the value of the product so they can determine how to brand and price it. QualitySpec® guaranteed tender meat will allow retailers to differentiate themselves with higher standards, and let consumers know that they’re spending their money wisely on a guaranteed tender piece of meat.”

About ASD

Based in Boulder and with customers around the world, ASD provides the most reliable, high-performance analytical instrumentation solutions to industrial professionals, analytical researchers, and remote sensing scientists. In collaboration with our customers since 1990, our applications support team remains unsurpassed in solving the world’s most challenging materials measurement problems.

For more information, please contact Amanda Griffin, ASD Marketing Communications Manager, 5335 Sterling Dr., Suite A, Boulder, CO, 80301; 303/444-6522, 303/444-6825 (fax); [email protected]; www.asdi.com.

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