Classification of Southern Australian Grass- and Grain-Fed Beef

Validation of Raman spectroscopic models to verify the origin of Australian beef grown under different production systems

Verification of beef production systems and authentication of origin is becoming increasingly important as consumers base purchase decisions on a greater number of perceived values including the healthiness and environmental impact of products. Previously Raman spectroscopy has been explored as a tool to classify carcases from grass and grain fed cattle. Thus, the aim of the current study was to validate Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) models created using independent samples from carcases sampled from northern and southern Australian production systems in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Validation of the robustness of discrimination models was undertaken using spectral measures of fat from 585 carcases which were measured in 2022 using a Raman handheld device with a sample excised for fatty acid analysis. PLS-DA models were constructed and then employed to classify samples as either grass or grain fed in a two-class model. Overall, predictions were high with accuracies of up to 95.7% however, variation in the predictive ability was noted with models created for southern cattle yielding an accuracy of 73.2%. While some variation in fatty acids and therefore models can be attributed to differences in genetics, management and diet, the impact of duration of feeding is currently unknown and thus further work is warranted.