Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/170 of 5 February 2016 authorising methods for grading pig carcasses in Finland (notified under document C(2016) 658)

• CELEX: Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/170
• Articles: 6

Article 1

The use of the following methods is authorised for grading pig carcasses pursuant to point 1 of Section B.IV of Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 in Finland:

(a)

the ‘ Hennessy Grading Probe 4 (HGP4) ’ apparatus and the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are given in Part I of the Annex;

(b)

the ‘ AutoFOM III ’ apparatus and the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are given in Part II of the Annex.

Article 2

Modifications of the authorised apparatus or grading methods shall not be allowed, unless those modifications are explicitly authorised by Commission Decision.

Article 3

Decision 96/550/EC is repealed.

Article 4

This Decision shall apply from 1 February 2016.

Article 5

This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Finland.

Schedules & Appendices

ANNEX

ANNEX

METHODS FOR GRADING PIG CARCASSES IN FINLAND

PART I

Hennessy Grading Probe 4 (HGP4)

1.

The rules provided for in this Part shall apply when the grading of pig carcasses is carried out by means of the apparatus termed ‘Hennessy Grading Probe 4 (HGP4)’.

2.

The apparatus Hennessy Grading Probe shall be equipped with a probe of 5,95 mm diameter with an abutting blade of 6,3 mm containing a photodiode (Siemens LED of the type LYU 260-EO and photo detector of the type 58 MR) and having an operational distance between 0 and 120 mm.

3.

The lean meat content of the carcass shall be calculated according to the following formula:

Y = 67,091 – 0,566 × S1 – 0,381 × S2 + 0,078 × M

where:

S1

:

the thickness of back fat (including rind) in millimetres measured at 8 cm off the midline of the carcass behind the last rib (between the 14th rib and the 1st lumbar vertebra);

S2

:

the thickness of back fat (including rind) in millimetres measured at 6 cm off the midline of the carcass between the 3rd and 4th ribs;

M

:

the thickness of muscle in millimetres measured at 6 cm off the midline of the carcass between the 3rd and 4th ribs.

4.

The formula shall be valid for carcasses weighing between 50 and 120 kg.

PART II

AutoFOM III

1.

The rules provided for in this Part shall apply when the grading of pig carcasses is carried out by means of the apparatus termed ‘AutoFOM III’ (fully automatic ultrasonic carcass grading).

2.

The apparatus shall be equipped with 16 transducers embedded in a stainless steel array. The measurements used for the models shall be an overall size assessment and properties derived from two selected cross-sections. The two selected cross-sections shall be at the minimum fat in the loin and at the loin to ham intersection. The apparatus shall transmit sound waves through the tissues. The echoes emitted by the bones, muscles and fat shall be converted into an image of the interior. Based on the image a digital image and data analysis shall be performed.

3.

The lean meat content of the carcass shall be calculated according to the following formula:

Y = 63,2758 + 0,081174 × R2P1 – 1,11488 × R2P5 – 0,89933 × R2P10 + 0,057066 × R3P3 + 0,097869 × R3P5

where:

R2P1

:

the average thickness of the skin.

R2P5

:

the skin at the selected P2 position in mm.

R2P10

:

minimum fat of the cross-section in mm.

R3P3

:

the meat measured at the selected MFT point in mm.

R3P5

:

the maximum meat measured in mm.

4.

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