Magnetic resonance imaging of fat and muscle distribution in meat

The fat content, and in particular, its distribution through the muscle are important factors in the palatability of meat. The fat makes a significant contribution not only to the texture and juiciness but also to the taste and smell of the final product. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been investigated as a method for imaging the distribution of muscle and fat in samples of retail quality meat. MRI is capable of non‐invasively generating detailed sections from any plane through the sample with sub‐millimetre resolution. The principles behind MRI are described and images highlighting the fat and water distribution are presented to illustrate techniques for manipulation of image contrast. The relative merits of the techniques are discussed. The T1 weighting technique combines the benefits of speed, contrast, and image clarity in images highlighting the fat distribution.