CAAIN
CAAIN
MatrixSpec Solutions Inc., Baie-Durfé, QC
Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement, Ottawa, ON
Motsai Research Inc., Saint-Bruno, QC
In March 2024, CAAIN wrapped up funding a two-year project with Montreal-based MatrixSpec Solutions, a startup engaged in exciting work using hyperspectral imaging to improve different areas of the agri-food sector. This particular initiative, Development of Automated Smart Device for Pork Marbling Assessment, which is currently in pre-commercialisation, addressed inconsistencies in grading pork marbling. Their very elegant solution to this issue was to research and design a handheld device similar to a grocery store checkout scanner that would allow an inspector simply to flash a hyperspectral light at a pork loin and have a marbling score appear on the device’s readout. What was particularly brilliant was the Marbling Meter’s programmability, meaning that it could be adjusted to apply Canadian, American, or Japanese standards.
Led by CEO Dr. Michael Ngadi and CTO Dr. Laura Liu, the MatrixSpec team succeeded in developing an upgraded Marbling Meter prototype and is well on its way towards the goal standardising pork grading by reducing reliance on visual inspection, which requires that the loin be cut, a difficult, unreliable process that devalues the meat in question. This, in turn, will improve the Canadian pork industry’s operational efficiency, productivity, competitiveness, and profitability.
In 2023, sensing the Marbling Meter was well on its way, Michael and Laura turned their attention to the next step in improving pork grading, and applied to CAAIN to fund the development of an automatic pork quality grading system they called APoG.
Collaborating with the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement, located in Ottawa, and the Saint-Bruno, Quebec-based Motsai Research Inc., an SME that designs electronic products, MatrixSpec is developing this APoG, or automatic pork quality grading system using their preferred hyperspectral imaging, as well as computer vision, and machine and deep learning. The resulting online resource will provide multidimensional pork quality trait assessment of entire pork loins using the Marbling Meter tool. Specifically, the technology will automatically assess traits such as colour, marbling score, and firmness of the entire pork loin, all qualities that are essential to profitability. The APoG’s sustainability will be evaluated with a view to enhancing data-driven quality management, addressing the pork industry’s automation hurdle by providing an innovative and intelligent solution for automatic and objective meat quality grading.
CAAIN’s support will allow MatrixSpec to test and validate the performance of the APoG prototype in a pork processing environment to fine-tune and facilitate the technical advancement and maturity of the technology.
CAAIN Contribution
$325,707
Total Project Value
$846,839
Dr. Laura Liu
Chief Technology Officer
MatrixSpec Solutions Inc.
info@matrixspec.ai
514.457.4000