USING the Meat Standards Australia grading system has enabled one Tasmanian processor to turn his domestic consumption around. Embracing MSA grading has allowed family-owned and operated meat processing business Greenham Tasmania to expand their domestic beef supply.

                     

The processor, which has 1000 Tasmanian suppliers, used to supply beef predominantly for the export market, however in recent years that has changed dramatically as MSA has allowed the company to brand their beef and market it as a consistent product. 

"Our export and domestic mix has changed," Greenham's director Peter Greenham said. "In (about 2006), 30 per cent of our beef supplied the domestic market, and the rest export. "Now 70-75 per cent (supplies) the domestic market and the rest export - our whole system has changed." 

Mr Greenham said the company promoted a branded beef product under Greenham's Tasmania Brand from 2002 to 2007. "But it didn't work because of a lack of grading quality," Mr Greenham said. "In 2007, we started using MSA and it taught us to look at final outcomes of beef and not just traditional benchmarks such as definition and weight."  Mr Greenham said using MSA had allowed him to produce a consistent product for their Cape Grim Beef, Pure South Natural Angus Beef and Greenham Tasmania Natural Beef brands. 

Last month, Greenham's Cape Grim Beef brand won a silver medal at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show in the branded beef competition's grass-fed category.