Meat Inspector - An instrument for detecting meat quality and defects

The global meat sector needs fast and reliable methods to detect quality defects before raw material enters costly processing and long international value chains. Traditional measurements such as pH and color do not always capture more complex deviations, for example PSE-like meat (pale, soft, and exudative), which is reported in several countries and affects both product quality and economics. Meat Inspector is developing a rapid, non-destructive measurement tool that provides an objective assessment of internal meat quality early in the value chain. The solution initially targets pork but is designed for scaling across species and markets. The project brings together expertise from NMBU, the University of Oslo, Animalia AS, and Ard Innovation AS, and builds on results from the predecessor Food Inspector. The aim is to make quality control more objective and efficient for producers, processors, and breeding environments in both national and international markets, with the potential for more consistent consumer quality and reduced food waste. Through prototyping and verification in industry-relevant tests, the project is working toward a user-friendly solution that can be integrated into day-to-day operations. The project is a commercialization effort led by Ard Innovation AS in close collaboration with industry partners.