Australian ag-tech company MEQ has reached a significant milestone, achieving US Department of Agriculture (USDA) certification for its MEQ Camera V2 Technology. This innovative technology is designed to accurately and precisely measure the yield and quality of beef, a critical factor in determining price across the supply chain.
Traditionally, meat grading has relied on visual assessments or 2D imagery to evaluate key attributes such as marbling, meat and fat color, and fat depth. However, new objective measurement technologies, like video and data from 3D cameras enhanced by AI models, are driving accuracy and repeatability, bringing greater consistency to the grading process.
The MEQ Camera, consisting of a smartphone application and an integrated 3D depth camera, is the first video technology to be awarded USDA certification for beef grading. Moreover, it is the first technology of any type to be certified in over 15 years. This certification allows the MEQ Camera to be used officially to grade beef quality, digitizing a key process within the US$108 billion US beef processing sector.
The certification comes under the USDA’s instrument augmented beef grading program after an extensive trial process that saw more than 10,000 carcasses analyzed between June 2024 and May 2025. The MEQ Camera is now approved for predicting the Official Beef Marbling Score, Ribeye Area, Preliminary Yield Grade, and Yield Grade.
Remo Carbone, MEQ CEO, highlighted the significance of this achievement, stating that earning USDA certification is a major milestone not just for MEQ but for the entire US beef industry. “It validates the MEQ Camera’s accuracy, consistency, and real-world application for meat quality grading at scale,” said Carbone. “This certification reinforces our global vision to bring greater objectivity, transparency, and value to the red meat supply chain through data and innovation.”
The MEQ Camera is powered by 12 independent machine learning AI models and is the first solution to use video to grade meat quality, enhancing its integrity over still image solutions. It has already been deployed by several US processors, including Sustainable Beef in North Platte, Nebraska.
In 2023, MEQ partnered with technology company Siemens to incorporate the MEQ Camera and other solutions into its automation and industrial computing platforms. This collaboration aims to co-develop high-value meat quality applications for the red meat industry. Additionally, MEQ has worked with the Australian Wagyu Association to develop collaborative, objective carcase measurement and transformative data utilization throughout the Wagyu supply chain.
This USDA certification marks a pivotal moment for MEQ and the beef industry, paving the way for more objective and transparent meat quality grading. As the technology is adopted more widely, it promises to bring significant advancements to the red meat supply chain.