I read the online version of your article Pelican, which states
nothing like your claims.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/hormone-level-in-livestock-too-high-survey/2035114.aspx

You arn't aware of what happens to substandard beef? Are you even
aware of what our major beef exports are? Hamburger beef.

My claim was yabby that the quality of meat (ie. taste/tenderness) has deteriorated over the years and then this article today with results from the CSIRO. You may choose to dismiss my own experiences as a consumer re meat quality over the years but the CSIRO is an independent body.

If you are going to cherry pick my claims at least use the right one against the material provided.

According to the MLA 62% of Australian red meat is exported (excluding goat and offal products) and I doubt most of this is hamburger mince.

Even if a large portion of export sales are mince I suspect quality assurance would continue to be an important part of the trade agreeements.

*My claim was yabby that the quality of meat (ie. taste/tenderness) has deteriorated over the years and then this article today with results from the CSIRO.*

So show me Pelican, where the CSIRO claims that meat taste/tenderness
has deteriorated. I think you'll find enough claims from MLA,
showing that meat quality in general has improved, due to more
feedlotting, better technology, better understanding of quality
parameters etc. Today we have packaging and ageing technology,
for those who want the best. All available to local consumers, if
they are prepared to pay the extra costs involved. All available
in major gourmet meat butcher shops in cities.

*Even if a large portion of export sales are mince I suspect quality assurance would continue to be an important part of the trade agreeements.*

Well of course. Nobody has claimed any different. The point was
that mince is a great outlet for lesser quality cuts, so your comment
that you guess, companies "just throw meat away" was rather foolish.

Once again, we export both top and lesser quality meat. We also
sell both locally. Your claim that the best is exported and not
available to locals, is simply wrong.

Many millions of $ are spent each year on improving Australian
meat quality. This information is regularly published by organisations
like MLA. So I am not going to believe the perceptions of a single
Canberra housewife.

http://sj.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/grains-and-cropping/general/beef-taste-tenderness-marred-by-hormones/2035787.aspx

There you go Pelican, that is what the CSIRO actually claimed.
I am really wondering, why you seemingly invent this stuff, as
you go along. You are not silly, you really should know better.

Errr...yes Yabby that is the article and it clearly states that growth hormones have had an adverse effect on meat tenderness and taste since their introduction.

"And it says these findings are not new, with peer-reviewed studies conducted more than 60 years ago showing growth hormones had ''a negative effect on beef palatability...The research centre's taste tests reported ''a very significant drop'' of up to 10 points in scores given by consumers when rating the tenderness of hormone-treated beef."

I don't need articles to prove what my own taste buds have already told me - hence why I buy at the farm gate from an organic supplier when time permits.

Your persistent claims that meat exporters ship out substandard meat and that the claims on all their websites about exporting only the highest quality meat, according to you as shite - is a wee bit concerning in terms of truth in advertising and living up to those FT agreements.

The spin that Aussies have their choice of the best cuts are just plain misrepresentations but I am sure you truly believe in the hype.

http://www.ourpatch.com.au/australia/users/spida/blogs/2506-big-beef-bulldust

Ok Pelican, so you can't read and understand the words :)

It says nowhere in that article, that meat has become tougher or
in any way lesser quality over the years. So you've pulled that
one clean out of your imagination.

Here in some background information btw, for your education.

http://www.mla.com.au/About-the-red-meat-industry/Food-safety-and-quality/Hormone-growth-promotants?gclid=COiFqM2nkaYCFQH1bwodejVhSg

*Your persistent claims that meat exporters ship out substandard meat*

Where have I claimed that any substandard meat has been shipped out?
Again, you pulled it straight out of your fantasy.

Meat standards which exporters have to comply with are very strict,
but as it happens, some cuts in any animals are tougher then others.
So tough meat is not substandard. If you decide to buy tougher cuts
from an old merino ewe, that meat will be quite different to the
more tender cuts from a prime fed lamb. Both are up to standard.

What has changed is how much better today we understand meat quality
and what changes we have made, to improve the product. Things like
cold shortening of carcasses, used to be common. We now use carcass
electro stimulation on meat chains, which largely overcomes the
problem. The whole idea of MSA was about addressing tenderness
from farm to plate.

If you think that meat has lost flavour, its either because of your
flawed perception, or because you trim off every last bit of fat
and of course meat flavour is in the fat, be it marbled or otherwise.