Chemistry (continued)

Biochemistry and physiology have been combined in the CSIRO Meat Research Laboratories to develop technologies for improving the tenderness of beef. The first was the aitch bone hanging, or Tenderstretch, method which undoubtedly worked but which received a luke-warm reception from industry because 'boning out' was more difficult. The second was electrical stimulation, either extra low voltage (up to 45 V) which must be applied within 8 minutes of stunning, or high voltage (say 500-800 V) which may be applied up to 60 minutes after stunning, both voltage and duration depending on the time between stunning and stimulation. This technique is now used quite widely in Australia.[159]

There are many other examples deriving from the new instrumental methodology which has been developed overseas but the benefits, limitations and implications of which apply in Australia as elsewhere. Of benefit are the greatly increased productivity of the individual analyst, the improved ability to detect and measure substances at concentrations not previously possible, the ability to monitor more closely factors of economic importance, and greater opportunities to measure parameters for feed forward control of processes. The limitations are the cost and complexity of the equipment, the efficiency of the specific sensor used and, as ever, sampling. But the increasing mastery of food analysis has implications not always envisaged. Detection of some substances demands that they must be accounted for and leads to regulations which must be tempered by considerations of the toxicological significance of the concentrations found. Thus far, such a balance has been achieved in Australia, but an unexpected result of consumer and other demands for more detailed information about all kinds of things in food is to push food processing more in the direction of the big companies which can afford the scientific support needed to provide the answers.[160]

Chemistry has, of course, been increasingly used in the development of new products, in the establishment of specifications for raw materials, products and packages and in the control of processes. TWO final examples will suffice; one, the application of biochemistry to fish technology and the other, an Australian process for the manufacture of food grade gelatin.

Institutes for fish research appeared in several northern hemisphere countries between the wars but little was done in Australia because of the relatively low economic importance of fish vis-a-vis meat, fruit and dairy products.[161] A little has been done in educational institutions but most work has been carried out in CSIRO, and most of that since 1960. Abalone is an important export, and appropriate methods for the handling, preparation and storage of this shell-fish have been developed without, however, solving all the problems encountered on the Asian markets. Abalone silage has been developed and shown to be useful as pig food.[162] Minced fish has received some attention [163] but Australians are not traditional fish eaters and interest in the product has flagged. A valuable technological contribution to local industry, however, is a simple method for avoiding black spot in prawns.[164]

Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering