2005D0307 — EN — 23.08.2007 — 001.001

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►B COMMISSION DECISION of 12 April 2005 authorising a method for grading pig carcases in Latvia (notified under document number C(2005) 1098) (Only the Latvian text is authentic) (2005/307/EC) (OJ L 098, 16.4.2005, p.42)

Amended by:

Official Journal No page date ►M1 COMMISSION DECISION of 21 August 2007 L 218 10 23.8.2007









▼B

COMMISSION DECISION

of 12 April 2005

authorising a method for grading pig carcases in Latvia

(notified under document number C(2005) 1098)

(Only the Latvian text is authentic)

(2005/307/EC)







THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3220/84 of 13 November 1984 determining the Community scale for grading pig carcases ( 1 ), and in particular Article 5(2) thereof, Whereas: (1) Article 2(3) of Regulation (EEC) No 3220/84 provides that the grading of pig carcases must be determined by estimating the content of lean meat in accordance with statistically proven assessment methods based on the physical measurement of one or more anatomical parts of the pig carcase. The authorisation of grading methods is subject to compliance with a maximum tolerance for statistical error in assessment. This tolerance was defined in Article 3 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2967/85 of 24 October 1985 laying down detailed rules for the application of the Community scale for grading pig carcases ( 2 ). (2) The Government of Latvia has requested the Commission to authorise one method for grading pig carcases and has submitted the results of its dissection trial which was executed before the day of accession, by presenting part two of the protocol provided for in Article 3 of Regulation (EEC) No 2967/85. (3) The evaluation of this request has revealed that the conditions for authorising this grading method are fulfilled. (4) In Latvia commercial practice may require that the head, the hind feet and the tail are removed from the pig carcase. This should be taken into account in adjusting the weight for standard presentation. (5) No modification of the apparatus or the grading method may be authorised except by means of a new Commission Decision adopted in the light of experience gained. For this reason, the present authorisation may be revoked. (6) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Pigmeat, Whereas: HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:







▼M1

Article 1

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

— The manual method (ZP) and the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are given in Part 1 of the Annex,

— the ‘Intrascope (Optical Probe)’ apparatus and the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are given in Part 2 of the Annex,

— the ‘PG 200 (Pork Grader)’ apparatus and the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are given in Part 3 of the Annex.

The manual method (ZP) may be applied only in slaughterhouses which do not exceed a weekly slaughtering of 200 pigs.

▼B

Article 2

Notwithstanding the standard presentation referred to in Article 2 of Regulation (EEC) No 3220/84, pig carcases may be presented in Latvia without the head, the hind feet and the tail before being weighed and graded. In order to establish quotations for pig carcases on a comparable basis, the recorded hot weight shall be increased by:

— 7,61 % for the missing head

— 1,61 % for the missing hind feet

— 0,11 % for the missing tail.

Article 3

Modifications of the apparatus or the assessment method shall not be authorised.

Article 4

This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Latvia.

▼M1









ANNEX

METHODS FOR GRADING PIG CARCASES IN LATVIA

PART 1

Manual method (ZP)

1. Grading of pig carcases shall be carried out by use of the manual method (ZP).

2. This method may be implemented using a ruler, with the grading determined on the basis of the prediction equation. It is based on the manual measurement on the midline of the split carcase of the thickness of the fat and of the thickness of the muscle.

3. The lean meat content of carcases shall be calculated according to the following formula: = 61,689 – 0,658x1 + 0,109x2 where: = the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcase, x1 = the thickness of the visible fat on the midline of the split carcase, measured in the point G — thinnest part over the gluteus medius muscle (in millimetres), x2 = the thickness of the visible muscle on the midline of the split carcase, measured in point M — distance between the cranial edge of the gluteus medius muscle and the dorsal edge of the vertebral canal (in millimetres). The formula shall be valid for carcases weighing between 50 and 100 kilograms.

PART 2

Intrascope (Optical Probe)

1. Grading of pig carcases shall be carried out by means of the apparatus termed ‘Intrascope (Optical Probe)’ produced by SFK, Denmark.

2. The apparatus shall be equipped with a hexagonal-shaped probe of a maximum width of 12 millimetres (and of 19 millimetres at the blade at the top of the probe) containing a viewing window and a light source, a sliding barrel calibrated in millimetres, and having an operating distance of between 8 and 50 millimetres.

3. The lean meat content of the carcase shall be calculated according to the following formula: = 71,964 – 0,756x where: = the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcase, x = the thickness of back-fat in millimetres, measured on left side of carcase behind the last rib 6 cm of the midline of the carcase. The formula shall be valid for carcases weighing between 50 and 100 kilograms.

PART 3

PG 200 (Pork Grader)

1. Grading of pig carcases shall be carried out by means of the apparatus termed ‘PG 200 (Pork Grader)’ produced by SFK, Denmark.

2. The apparatus shall be equipped with 1. manual measuring device, which has an operating distance of between 9 and 150 millimetres, and 2. linked computing system which records data and calculates lean meat content of carcase.

3. The lean meat content of the carcase shall be calculated according to the following formula: = 71,938 – 0,928x1 + 0,013x2 where: = the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcase, x1 = the thickness of back-fat in millimetres, measured on left side of carcase behind the last rib 7 cm of the midline of the carcase, x2 = the thickness of muscle in millimetres measured on left side of carcase behind the last rib 7 cm off the midline of the carcase. The formula shall be valid for carcases weighing between 50 and 100 kilograms.