Commission Decision of 19 December 2008 authorising methods for grading pig carcases in Spain (notified under document number C(2008) 8477) (Only the Spanish text is authentic) (2009/11/EC)

ANNEX METHODS FOR GRADING PIG CARCASES IN SPAIN

Part 1 FAT-O-MEATER (FOM)

1. Grading of pig carcases shall be carried out by means of the apparatus termed ‘Fat-O-Meater (FOM)’.

2. The apparatus shall be equipped with a probe of 6-millimetre diameter containing a photodiode of the Siemens SFH 950 type and a photodetector (type SFH 960), having an operating distance of between 3 and 103 millimetres. The results of the measurements are converted into estimated lean meat content by means of a computer.

3. The lean meat content of the carcase shall be calculated according to the following formula:

= 66,91 – 0,895 X1 + 0,144 X2

where:

=

the estimated lean meat content (in percentage),

X1

=

the thickness of the fat between the third and fourth last rib at 60 mm of the midline of the carcase (in millimetres),

X2

=

the thickness of muscle measured at the same time and in the same place as X1 (in millimetres).

This formula shall be valid for carcases weighing between 60 and 120 kilograms.

Part 2 FULLY AUTOMATIC ULTRASONIC CARCASE GRADING (AUTOFOM)

1. Pig carcase grading shall be carried out using the apparatus termed ‘Fully automatic ultrasonic carcase grading (Autofom)’.

2. The apparatus shall be equipped with sixteen 2 MHz ultrasonic transducers (Krautkrämer, SFK 2 NP), with an operating distance between transducers of 25 mm.

The ultrasonic data shall comprise measurements of back fat thickness and muscle thickness.

The results of the measurements are converted into estimated lean meat content using a computer.

3. The carcase’s lean meat content shall be calculated on the basis of 34 measurement points using the following formula:

= 70,59614 – 0,0904 · V22 – 0,23033 · V23 – 0,15558 · V44 + 0,086638 · V46 – 0,09965 · V48 – 0,10002 · V49 – 0,11624 · V51 – 0,05561 · V52 – 0,04854 · V53 – 0,0432 · V54 – 0,00282 · V55 + 0,051829 · V57 + 0,036795 · V58 – 0,00519 · V59 – 0,0269 · V60 – 0,06432 · V61 – 0,05323 · V62 – 0,05229 · V64 – 0,0523 · V65 + 0,005645 · V72 – 0,06505 · V73 – 0,04587 · V74 + 0,015041 · V77 + 0,030928 · V78 – 0,08024 · V79 – 0,07275 · V80 – 0,07497 · V85 – 0,06818 · V86 – 0,06875 · V87 – 0,04742 · V90 – 0,00698 · V91 + 0,046485 · V92 – 0,10403 · V93 + 0,160475 · V123

where:

=

the estimated lean meat content of the carcase,

V22, V23, … V123 are the variables measured with the Autofom.

4. Descriptions of the measurement points and the statistical method can be found in Part II of the Spanish protocol forwarded to the Commission in accordance with Article 3(3) of Regulation (EEC) No 2967/85.

This formula shall be valid for carcases weighing between 60 and 120 kilograms.

Part 3 ULTRAFOM 300

1. Grading of pig carcases shall be carried out by means of the apparatus termed ‘Ultrafom 300’.

2. The apparatus shall be equipped with an ultrasonic probe at 4 MHz (Krautkrämer MB 4 SE). The ultrasonic signal is digitised, stored and processed by a microprocessor (type Intel 80 C 32). The results of the measurements shall be converted into estimated lean meat content by means of the Ultrafom apparatus itself.

3. The lean meat content of the carcase shall be calculated according to the following formula:

= 69,22 – 1,023 X1 + 0,116 X2

where:

=

the estimated lean meat content (in percentage),

X1

=

the thickness of the fat between the third and fourth last rib at 70 mm of the midline of the carcase (in millimetres),

X2

=

the thickness of muscle measured at the same time and in the same place as X1 (in millimetres).

This formula shall be valid for carcases weighing between 60 and 120 kilograms.

Part 4 AUTOMATIC VISION SYSTEM (VCS2000)

1. Grading of pig carcases is carried out by means of the apparatus termed ‘Automatic vision system (VCS2000)’.

2. The apparatus VCS 2000 is a picture-processing system for automatically determining the trade values of pork carcase halves. The system is used online within the slaughtering production system where via a camera system the carcase halves are automatically filmed. The picture data is then processed in a computer by special picture processing software.

3. The lean meat content of the carcases shall be calculated on the basis of 70 measurement points according to the following formula:

= 37,49855 + 0,017715 · X₂ – 0,00075 · X₄₀ – 0,02522 · X₅₀ – 0,04549 · X₅₂ – 0,0000335 · X₅₉ – 0,000093 · X₆₂ – 0,0000814 · X₆₃ – 0,0000715 · X₆₄ – 0,0000494 · X₆₆ – 0,0000482 · X₆₇ – 0,00047 · X₆₉ + 0,000304 · X₇₀ + 0,00867 · X₇₇ – 0,03007 · X₇₉ – 0,04575 · X₈₁ – 0,01742 · X₈₂ – 0,01768 · X₈₃ – 0,03114 · X₈₄ – 0,02549 · X₈₅ – 0,0265 · X₉₂ – 0,03299 · X₉₅ – 0,02472 · X₉₉ – 0,0399 · X₁₀₂ + 0,020178 · X₁₀₃ – 0,04614 · X₁₀₆ + 0,012659 · X₁₀₇ + 0,012256 · X₁₁₀ + 0,015358 · X₁₁₃ – 0,23294 · X₁₁₆ + 0,010157 · X₁₁₇ – 0,07282 · X₁₂₀ + 0,126624 · X₁₄₂ + 6,052785 · X_2/6 – 13,2893 · X_14/10 + 7,287408 · X_77/51 – 4,09296 · X_79/51 – 11,4326 · X_81/51 – 1,28847 · X_82/51 – 0,57019 · X_83/51 – 5,21869 · X_84/51 – 2,92106 · X_85/51 + 8,274608 · X_88/51 + 9,886478 · X_91/51 – 0,00442 · X_47/79 – 0,04848 · X_50/79 + 0,227913 · X_54/79 + 2,845209 · X_77/79 + 0,018409 · X_86/79 – 0,00838 · X_89/79 + 0,007447 · X_94/79 + 136,5994 · X_27/20 + 182,973 · X_29/20 – 6,82665 · X_59/20 – 261 768 · X_61/20 – 7,85416 · X_62/20 – 3,8587 · X_63/20 – 16,6166 · X_64/20 – 59,2087 · X_65/20 – 3,21138 · X_66/20 – 6,96096 · X_67/20 + 20,91982 · X_68/20 – 109,736 · X_69/20 + 243,641 · X_70/20 + 29,84246 · X_73/20 + 15,50442 · X_74/20 – 0,30367 · X_36/59 – 2,07787 · X_40/59 – 0,38605 · X_42/59 – 1,90547 · X_69/59 + 3,554836 · X_70/59

where:

=

the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcase,

X₂, X₄₀, … X_70/59 are the variables measured with the VCS2000.

4. Descriptions of the measurement points and the statistical method can be found in Part II of the Spanish protocol forwarded to the Commission in accordance with Article 3(3) of Regulation (EEC) No 2967/85.

This formula shall be valid for carcases weighing between 60 and 120 kilograms.