Melbourne-based startup supports the cattle industry despite industry-wide skepticism
In a groundbreaking development for the beef processing industry, MEQ, an Australian startup headquartered in Reservoir, Victoria, has introduced a USDA-certified video-based system for beef grading. This innovative technology, approved for the first time in over 15 years, is set to revolutionize the industry and reshape the entire beef supply chain.
MEQ's camera technology, a quiet force in Australian agtech, leverages machine learning AI to analyse video footage, providing more accurate and consistent meat quality assessments than traditional still image methods. This breakthrough enables faster, more reliable grading directly on processing lines, reducing human error and subjectivity while increasing throughput and supply chain transparency.
The potential benefits are far-reaching. By enabling better product sorting, improving pricing accuracy, and strengthening consumer trust in beef quality from processing to retail, MEQ's technology has the potential to optimize supply chain efficiency. Remo Carbone, MEQ's co-founder and CEO, emphasizes the significance of this development, stating, "This technology introduces automation and AI-powered precision that could transform the entire beef supply chain."
Carbone and co-founder Andrew Grant began working on this project 20 years ago, following a course in science and tech commercialisation at the University of Adelaide and the University of Texas. Since its founding in 2016, MEQ spent the first five years in R&D, a time when venture capital was pouring into plant-based meat alternatives. Despite this, MEQ's focus has always been on making meat better, not replacing it.
The MEQ Camera, a 3D camera fitted into a case for an ordinary smartphone, captures high-resolution images and spatial geometry of the meat in a few seconds. The data generated by this technology can flow back down the chain to the farmer, or forward to retailers and consumers, enhancing transparency throughout the supply chain.
MEQ's technology offers real-time data feedback loops, a feature barely touched in the red meat industry. This technology has already been deployed at several US processing plants, including Sustainable Beef in Nebraska. With the US$108 billion American beef industry being ignored due to cultural reasons and the meat sector's traditional closed, physically demanding, and geographically remote nature, MEQ's focus on making meat better is a welcome change.
MEQ has two other products: MEQ Probe for hot carcass assessment and MEQ Live for estimating fat and marbling of standing animals. The company, which currently employs almost 40 people spread across the globe, raised $6 million at the end of 2023 and is planning to expand, especially in the US, where they have built relationships with major packers and regional processors.
Remo Carbone believes that livestock alone cannot solve global protein demand and has always supported plant-based meat alternatives. However, he is confident that MEQ's technology will play a crucial role in enhancing the quality and sustainability of the beef industry, making it a more attractive option for consumers.
In the face of the struggles faced by meat alternatives since 2019, with Beyond Meat losing 98% of its peak valuation due to questions about health, environmental, and taste benefits, MEQ's technology offers a promising solution for the beef industry. By delivering real-time, standardized quality data, MEQ's technology supports smarter inventory management, marketing, and product differentiation, potentially strengthening consumer trust and demand for beef products.
The MEQ Camera evaluates marbling, yield, and the size of the ribeye using 3D video and 12 AI models, offering objective, instant analysis, a significant improvement over the traditional method of human graders peering at butts on hooks moving across the kill floor. With its USDA certification, MEQ's technology gives the company more optionality regarding raising additional capital for scaling, positioning it as a key player in the future of the beef industry.
- Remo Carbone, MEQ's co-founder and CEO, sees potential for data-and-cloud-computing to further optimize the beef supply chain, as the MEQ Camera generates data that can flow from farmers to consumers, increasing transparency.
- In the vast beef industry, MEQ's technology, which leverages artificial-intelligence for video-based beef grading, could revolutionize finance by improving product sorting, pricing accuracy, and supply chain efficiency.
- As MEQ's technology introduces automation and AI-powered precision to the beef industry, it aligns with the growing trend of technology integration in various sectors of the industry, particularly in the manufacturing and industry at large.
