SEPTEMBER 2007 

Inspecting and Testing Electronic Carcass Evaluation Devices 

By Dick Suiter 

This is the fifth in a series of Weights & Measures Quarterly articles intended to 

familiarize weights and measures field officials and administrators with electronic carcass 

evaluation device standards, operation, inspection, and testing. Previous articles are 

archived for your review on the WMD website at http://ts.nist.gov/WeightsAndMeasures/ 

newsletterarchive.cfm. 

This article and subsequent articles in the series describe additional devices or systems 

currently in use commercially and others currently being used in non-commercial 

applications, but which have the potential of commercial use. For each device or system, 

the articles will provide an overview of the base technology utilized and how the 

equipment functions, as well as test methods and reference material or physical standards 

currently available for use in conducting accuracy verification. 

NIST Handbook 44 includes a tentative code—Section 5.59. Electronic Livestock, Meat, 

and Poultry Evaluation Systems and/or Devices-Tentative Code. It is important that field 

officials begin evaluating these devices to determine if any changes are needed to the 

tentative code. 

This article addresses a vision system built by RMS Research Management Systems 

USA, Inc. The term “vision system” applies to an evaluation system using a digital 

camera to record a photo of a carcass or portion of a carcass that is then analyzed by a 

computer incorporated into the system. This system utilizes a digital camera and a large 

computer database of photos with known measurement values to evaluate measurements 

taken at a cut in the loin area of a beef carcass. As the carcasses are moving on the 

packing plant rail system, a digital camera (see Figure 1 below) is placed on the loin cut 

of the carcass. A digital photo of the rib eye section is captured and sent to the system 

computer where it is compared to the database of photos with known measurement values 

to determine several measurements for the carcass being evaluated. As shown in 

Figure 2, the system provides a measurement of the length (between the horizontal lines) 

and width (between the vertical lines) and the total area of rib eye, the fat thickness at 

several places on the back side of the loin (the slanted lines), and the percent of marbling 

in the rib eye. 
Figure 1 

Figure 2 

Although this system is not currently being used for determining values for commercial 

purposes, one installation has been given approval by the United States Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) for providing the 

measurements of the rib eye area—one of the characteristics used in determining the 

yield grade of carcasses being evaluated. The yield grade is a factor used in determining 

the value of the carcasses for payment to the livestock producer. 

In a recent study involving an official cutout test for verification, the system provided 

more consistent results than those of trained grading officials. A cutout test is a 

laboratory test where all tissue is removed from the bones and analyzed for actual fat 

content. 

This system is also capable of providing color measurement information that may be used 

for value determination of beef carcasses in the future. 

Calibration of the system is a relatively simple process and uses “calibration standards” 

developed by the device manufacturer. The calibration standards consist of calibrated 
photographic plates shown in Figures 3 through 5 below. These plates are used to 

calibrate the computer database of photos that is compared to digital photos of actual 

carcasses captured by the system camera. 

Figure 3 Figure 4 

Figure 5 

Detailed test procedures for these devices are being developed for eventual addition to 

ASTM Standard-F2343-061

. If these devices are to be used commercially, the device 

user is required to maintain a set of test standards with the device and is required to 

perform this procedure at the beginning of each production day. The standards 

maintained on site by the device user are required to meet NIST Handbook 44, 

Appendix A Fundamental Considerations, Section 3. Testing Apparatus, which requires 

the combined error and uncertainty of the standard to be less than one-third the applicable 

device tolerance. The user of the device is also required to have the accuracy of the test 

standard verified on an annual basis with traceability to a national standard. 

Weights and measures officials may elect to witness such testing on a periodic basis or 

may choose to conduct their own test using either their own standards or the standards 

maintained on site by the device user. 

Subsequent articles in this series will provide information on other technologies used to 

make measurements of various carcass constituents. These articles will provide 
information on how the various technologies operate and how they are used, as well as 

inspection and testing procedures developed for each type of device or system. 

For further information or questions related to this article, contact Dick Suiter (NIST) by 

e-mail at rsuiter@nist.gov or by phone at 301-975-4406. 

1 For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact 

ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org.