May 25, 2015
Japan researchers can now better detect marbling in cattle
Researchers at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology said they have developed a new in vivo scanner that can detect the amount of marbling in cattle, the Wall Street Journal reports.
"This is the first time such machine was created in the world," according to Yoshito Nakashima, chief senior researcher at the institute.
The device uses what is called a single-sided nuclear magnetic resonance scanner, which can detect the amount of muscle and fat non-invasively.
The amount of fat streaks within beef is one of the key factors that determines its taste. For example, the famed Kobe beef is highly sought after for its rich, even marbling produced through careful breeding.
The institute's development of the new scanner was published in the international forum Applied Magnetic Resonance in March.
Previously, such scanning was conducted using ultrasound, but it takes a trained expert to properly figure out the amount of fat that way. The new machine would be far easier to use, and would provide the level of fat quantitatively, Mr. Nakashima said.
The researchers intend to further develop the machine for possible use on other types of meat, such as Bluefin tuna. It might also be applied to observe the health of cattle and other livestock, they said.
Mr. Nakashima projected that the scanner could be sold in a few years for a price of ¥20 million (US$166,000) to ¥40 million once the institute finds a partner company to build it.