In late 2013 the New Zealand based meat processor, Silver Fern Farms
(SFF) announced the rollout of an Eating Quality (EQ) programme. Designed to
align the varied taste expectations of meat consumers with farming and
processing practices the EQ programme represents an ambitious effort to render
the taste of meat knowable and calculable in the pursuit of greater economic
value. Framed by the question, 'how is taste made material?' we draw on
developing research on materialities in assemblage theory and standardising
work to follow the materialisation of taste. Beginning with SFF’s emergent EQ
programme we trace the production and use of taste in relation to red meat across
a complex web of places and relationships that span the contemporary and
historical agri-food.