MIRINZ

MIRINZ, the Meat Industry Research Institute of New Zealand was established in 1955 as an independent research association charged with improving the quality of New Zealand export sheep meat.  It began research activities on a modest scale in 1957, and it was not until 4 March 1961 that its laboratories were officially opened by the Governor General Viscount Cobham.  N.H. (Norman) Law was appointed as the first Director (of only four).  He retired in July 1977 and was succeeded by C.L. (Lester) Davey.

Situated on the Ruakura campus, MIRINZ became a stand alone commercial research institute and as such, was required to find new sources of finance, including undertaking research for overseas clients and extending its research interests into beef and pork.  Despite developing into a viable commercial research organisation, uncertainty about research funding and shortfalls in guaranteed contract income led MIRINZ to merge with AgResearch in 1999, although the MIRINZ 'brand' has continued and meat production and processing have become more integrated. MIRINZ is responsible for a long list of technological innovations, and is best known for its research on meat tenderness and the development of industrial techniques such as electrical stimulation to prevent toughness.  Mechanical dressing of carcasses has been another major focus with the result that the New Zealand sheep industry is well known for its highly mechanised, integrated carcass processing systems with resulting improvements in cost effectiveness, yields of meat, high hygiene standards and reductions in labour costs.

Other technological innovations have been made in packaging systems, monitoring and controlling storage, and transport.