2008/169/EC: Commission Decision of 22 February 2008 authorising methods for grading pig carcases in Romania (notified under document number C(2008) 676)

• Articles: 4

Article 1

The use of the following methods is hereby authorised for grading pig carcases pursuant to Regulation (EEC) No 3220/84 in Romania:

(a)

the Fat-O-Meat’er (FOM) apparatus and the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are given in Part 1 of the Annex;

(b)

the OptiGrade-Pro (OGP) apparatus and the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are given in Part 2 of the Annex.

Article 2

Modifications of the apparata or the assessment methods shall not be authorised.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to Romania.

Schedules & Appendices

ANNEX

ANNEX

Methods for grading pig carcasses in Romania

PART 1

FAT-O-MEAT’ER (FOM)

1.

Grading of pig carcases is carried out by means of the apparatus known as ‘Fat-O-Meat’er (FOM)’.

2.

The apparatus shall be equipped with a probe of 6 millimetres diameter containing a photodiode of the Siemens SFH 950/960 type and 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 carcasse shall be calculated according to the following formula:

Ŷ = 60,26989 – 0,81506 * X1 + 0,20097 * X2

where:

Ŷ

=

the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcasse

X1

=

thickness of fat, including rind, in millimetres, measured at 7 cm from the midline

X2

=

thickness of the muscle in millimetres, measured at 7 cm from the midline, between the third and fourth last rib

This formula shall be valid for carcasses weighing between 50 and 120 kilograms.

PART 2

OPTIGRADE-PRO (OGP)

1.

Grading of pig carcasses shall be carried out by means of the apparatus termed ‘OptiGrade-Pro (OGP)’.

2.

The apparatus shall be equipped with an optical probe 6 mm in diameter, one infrared photodiode (Siemens) and a photo transistor (Siemens). The operating distance shall be between 0 and 110 mm. The results of the measurements are converted into estimated lean meat content by means of a computer.

3.

The lean meat content of the carcasses shall be calculated using the following formula:

Ŷ = 61,21920 – 0,77665 * X1 + 0,15239 * X2

where:

Ŷ

=

the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcasse

X1

=

thickness of fat, including rind, in millimetres, measured at 7 cm from the midline, between the third and fourth last rib

X2

=

thickness of the muscle in millimetres, measured at 7 cm from the midline, between the third and fourth last rib

This formula shall be valid for carcasses weighing between 50 and 120 kilograms.