Cameron Jose, of Murdoch University, was awarded the $US5000 prize by Meat & Livestock Australia managing director David Palmer at the Meat Profit Day being held in Orange NSW today.

The IMS Prize for Meat Science and Technology is awarded for a presentation, lecture or study related to red meat and attracts entrants from around the world.

Mr Jose's winning study was on the effects of vitamin E on colour stability in lamb.

The work involved studying the effects of dietary Vitamin E on the colour stability of lamb cuts aged in air or CO2 packs for up to 30 days.

Mr Jose was able to show that with sufficient concentrations of vitamin E in muscle it may be possible to increase the shelf life of lamb cuts by up to 60 hours.

The stabilising effect of vitamin E becomes particularly important when the meat is aged longer than 10 days before display.

The IMS Prize is presented to an individual scientist or leader of a group of scientists not older than 40 years of age.

The objective of the IMS Prize for Meat Science and Technology is the recognition of scientific and technological excellence among those engaged in research into red meat.

The Prize is judged by a panel of eight respected meat scientists and industry representatives from around the world and the judges place emphasis on the contribution that has the most impact on either knowledge or application for the industry, or the progression of meat science and technology.

"Cameron's work is practical and will result in real benefits for the industry," Mr Palmer said.