Mar 27, 2026
Artificial intelligence was the dominant technology discussed over the two days at the recent Meat Innovation Workshop in Palmerston North. With AI technology advancing rapidly, the workshop provided a fascinating insight into areas being targeted for productivity improvement and innovation. While many of the easier wins are found in food safety, worker hygiene, and surveillance, there were also examples of major innovation.
Described by its co-founder, Rian McDonnell as offering a digital fingerprint for meat, Flovision builds AI-powered tools that combine computer vision hardware and software to help food processors measure yield, monitor quality and improve labour performance in real time. There were signs that Flovision has the potential to revolutionise the meat industry, which McDonnell argued has been slow to innovate. It is not a stretch to envisage the future potential for innovation that combines AI and real vision technology to provide similar benefits to the deer velvet industry.
While AI was front and centre, not everyone was seen to benefit according to one of the Australian presenters, who shared a provocative view that AI in their company may be making “productive people more productive, but lazy people, dumber.”
The Dragon’s Den provided the opportunity for five game-changing ideas to be pitched to a panel of meat industry experts. The 2026 winner, Ron Park, pitched his Tender Kiwi business targeting whole meat, high collagen, cuts tenderized with kiwifruit enzymes for the elderly demographic, who struggle to chew meat. Park noted this wealthy demographic would grow globally to NZ$800 billion by 2050. Markets Manager, Terry Meikle, noted that against this backdrop, the high digestibility properties of venison, combined with its natural tenderness, are very well positioned to capture some of this market.
Meikle added that “in a world fast moving back towards whole functional foods, the concept of venison as medicine is fast becoming a reality”. Several pieces of innovative meat research were discussed at the workshop. Meikle noted that Deer Industry New Zealand is seeking to capitalise on this shifting dynamic by commissioning research into “the bioavailability and digestibility properties of venison as we seek to target the aged sector and burgeoning weight loss drug user demographic.”
