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New technology has positive implications for beef industry

published: May 11th 2007
by: Martha Hollida Garrett

All segments from conception to consumer stand to benefit from a new technology that is expected to be widely used in the United States in the coming months. The technology is called Supachill. It is a new freezing method developed in Australia and is already in use there, as well as South America and Europe.

With Supachill, conception rates for embryo transfer are greatly increased and there is less loss and greater motility with semen frozen by this method. In addition food items, including beef have more of their original tastes, color nutrients and textures, while shelf life is increased.

Dr. Kevin Pond, head of the animal science department at Texas Tech Uni-versity, first saw the technology at an International Dairy Meeting a few years ago. At that time, the founders were looking for a partner in the U.S. to develop protocols and manufacture the equipment.

Tech through their Center of Excellence for Cryobiology, has an exclusive partnership with Supachill and the equipment is being manufactured at the Texas Tech Reese Center. In addition, Tech has received grants from the National Cattle-men’s Beef Association, Texas Cattle Feeders, United States Department of Agriculture and the university itself. Texas has done a lot of the research and developed protocols for various products, including food, semen, embryos and blood.

Animal scientists with Texas Tech say that Supachill is the next big thing for the cattle reproduction sector, from any embryo transfer point alone. The numbers express their enthusiasm as with traditional frozen embryo transfer, conception rates are in the 40 to 50 percent range, however with Supachill, rates are high as 90 percent, which will make it far more affordable for purebred breeders.

According to animal scientists with Tech, traditional freezing methods, approximately 50 percent of semen is lost at freezing and another 25% of that when thawed. Those numbers are reduced to 10 percent at both stages with Supachill, which means the semen is more potent and less volume is needed. Because it is more powerful, conception rates can increase, more straws can be produced from a bull, due to the lower volume needed.

Supachill’s technology has the potential to make available more superior genetics through embryo transfer and commercial cowmen should have a higher quality selection of bulls in the long run.

Supachill was developed in Australia about 1990 and it has 45 patents. It uses a special liquid and pump system to freeze biological material at a high rate of speed with no temperature variation, which prevents the formation of ice crystals and the bursting of cells. The result is a cell with little or no damage.

It is done with glycerol, water and some food additives at a high speed and with high temperatures, verses traditional ways of freezing using liquid nitrogen. Supachill freezes at –26 degrees Celsius, verses –196 Celsius with liquid nitrogen. Another plus is, it takes less energy to freeze with Supachill and once the product is frozen it can be packaged, shipped and thawed conventionally.

Its use in the frozen meat, fruits and vegetables sector is so dramatic its hard to believe till you see it.

Freezing using the Supachill process takes only 10 to 15 percent of the time needed if a spiral freezer or freezing tunnel is used. A large piece of beef normally requires 36 hours, but according to Supachill their system takes only three hours. A steak takes 20 minutes instead of several hours. A meat packer can freeze the product with Supachill, and it can be shipped traditionally and thawed at the grocery market. It will look fresh and have all the advantages we just talked about, plus 2-3 days longer shelf life.

The technology is having tremendous impact in fruits and vegetables as well. Strawberries thawed after being frozen in Supachill, look like they were just picked. Potatoes and bananas can be frozen and they will not turn brown, plus whole eggs and milk frozen the Supachill way do not separate when frozen. Plus cheese retains its original texture.

There has also been work done in the field with fruits and vegetables. As the products are frozen at the field then shipped. This gives the processor more options, reduces wastes and should keep costs down for the consumer.

Supachill also offers tremendous impact in terms of human fertility, organ transplant and blood donations.

According to Dr. Pond, most of the blood donated in this country has a life of 28 days as the majority is not frozen. But with Supachill it can be frozen. The military is very interested in this aspect.

Also, most organ transplants are done with a 500 mile radius between the donor and the recipient. Supachill changes the distance to almost unlimited and opens up world-wide transfers. It also offers tremendous promise in the area of skin transfers.

The technology has many uses, but for beef producers it offers a way to increase efficiency through embryo transfer and artificial insemination and provide commercial cowmen with a greater selection of genetics. Plus it provides a way to give the consumer an even greater product when they buy meat.

Another big plus for the technology is the fact that once a product is frozen, the traditional methods of shipping, storing and thawing can be used.     Many of the reproduction companies and food processing and packaging companies are in the process of signing agreements to lease the equipment in the U.S. and it should become widely used in the near future.