2005/627/EC: Commission Decision of 26 August 2005 authorising methods for grading pig carcases in the Netherlands (notified under document number C(2005) 3234)
Date: 2005-08-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Netherlands, agricultural product nomenclature, carcase, measuring equipment, statistical method, swine

30.8.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 224/17

COMMISSION DECISION

of 26 August 2005

authorising methods for grading pig carcases in the Netherlands

(notified under document number C(2005) 3234)

(Only the Dutch text is authentic)

(2005/627/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

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)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Article 2(3) of Regulation (EEC) No 3220/84 provides
that the grading of pig carcases is to 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(2) 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).

By Commission Decision 87/131/EEC (3), the use of one
method for grading pig carcases in the Netherlands was
authorised.

the Government of

Due to technical adaptations,
the
Netherlands has requested the Commission to authorise
the use of a new formula for the apparatus HGP 2 used
at present under the Decision 87/131/EEC as from 1 July
2006, and to authorise a new method for grading pig
carcases, and has
therefore submitted the elements
required in Article 3 of Regulation (EEC) No 2967/85.

The evaluation of
the
conditions for authorising these grading methods are
fulfilled.

this request has revealed that

No modification of the apparatuses or grading methods
may be
a new
authorised except by means of
Commission Decision adopted in the light of experience
gained. For this reason, the present authorisation may be
revoked.

(6)

(7)

For the sake of clarity, Decision 87/131/EEC should be
repealed and replaced by a new decision.

The measures provided for
accordance with the opinion of
Committee for Pigmeat,

in this Decision are in
the Management

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

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

carcases pursuant

(a)

the apparatus termed Hennessy Grading Probe (HGP 2) and
the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are
given in Part 1 of the Annex;

(b) the apparatus termed VISION system (VCS 2000) and the
assessment methods related thereto, details of which are
given in Part 2 of the Annex.

Article 2

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

Article 3

Decision 87/131/EEC is hereby repealed.

Article 4

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Done at Brussels, 26 August 2005.

For the Commission

Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 301, 20.11.1984, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 3513/93 (OJ L 320, 22.12.1993, p. 5).

(2) OJ L 285, 25.10.1985, p. 39. Regulation as amended by Regulation

(EC) No 3127/94 (OJ L 330, 21.12.1994, p. 43).

(3) OJ L 51, 20.2.1987, p. 50. Decision as last amended by Decision

94/566/EC (OJ L 215, 20.8.1994, p. 27).

L 224/18

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

30.8.2005

ANNEX

Methods for grading pig carcases in the Netherlands

PART 1

Hennessy Grading Probe (HGP 2)

1. Grading of pig carcases shall be carried out by means of the apparatus termed as Hennessy Grading Probe (HGP 2).

2. The apparatus shall be equipped with a probe of 5,95 millimetres in diameter (and of 6,3 millimetres at the blade on
top of the probe) containing a photodiode (LED Siemens of the type LYU 260-EO and photodetector of the type 58
MR) and having an operating distance of between 0 and 120 millimetres. The results of the measurements shall be
converted into estimated lean meat content by means of the HGP 2 itself as well as a computer linked to it.

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

= p

gilt + (1 – p)

castrate (%)

where:

= the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcase,

gilt

= 61,38 – 0,74 X1 + 0,13 X2 (%),

castrate = 59,35 – 0,67 X1 + 0,13 X2 (%),

where:

X1

X2

p

where:

= the thickness of back-fat (including rind) in millimetres, measured at six centimetres off the midline of

the split carcase, between the third and fourth last ribs,

= the thickness of muscle in millimetres, measured at the same time and in the same place as X1,

= 1/ (1 + exp (– η)),

η

= – 3,277 – 0,4580 X1 + 0,3038 X2 + 0,007777 (X1)2 – 0,001792 (X2)2 – 0,002557 X1 * X2

This formula shall be valid for carcases weighing between 50 and 120 kg.

4. However, as from 1 July 2006, the lean meat content of the carcase shall be calculated according to the following

formula:

= 60,85 – 0,745 X1 + 0,133 X2

where:

X1

X2

= predicted lean meat percentage,

= the thickness of back-fat (including rind) in millimetres, measured at six centimetres off the midline of

the split carcase, between the third and fourth last ribs,

= the thickness of muscle in millimetres, measured at the same time and in the same place as X1.

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

30.8.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 224/19

PART 2

VISION system (VCS 2000)

1. Grading of pig carcases shall be carried out by means of the apparatus termed VISION system (VCS 2000).

2. The apparatus VISION system (VCS 2000) is a picture-processing system for automatically determining the trade
values of pork-carcass-halves. The system is used online within the slaughtering production system where via a camera
system the carcass 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 carcase shall be calculated according to the following formula:

x1
x4
x7
x10
x13
x16
x19
x22
x25
x28
x31
x34
x37
x40
x43
x46
x49
x52
x55
x58
x61
x64
x67
x70
x73
x76
x79
x82
x85
x88
x91
x94
x97
x100
x103
x106
x109
x112
x115

– 0,02578308
0,01336851
0,01399586
0,00001618
– 0,00006323
0,03703442
– 0,07474948
– 0,00000217
0,00005955
0,00003996
– 0,00002481
– 0,00000991
– 0,00000254
– 0,00057968
– 0,00000035
0,00019477
0,02520693
– 0,01983356
0,00069282
0,00028090
– 0,29583150
– 2,22708974
– 1,38136772
9,08361318
– 0,00083619
– 0,00007579
– 0,00003067
0,00067359
0,00003206
– 0,04465410
– 0,02700865
– 0,01766434
– 0,01189834
0,01586154
0,02734395
– 0,06387375
– 0,12423421
0,06193271
0,00035641

x2
x5
x8
x11
x14
x17
x20
x23
x26
x29
x32
x35
x38
x41
x44
x47
x50
x53
x56
x59
x62
x65
x68
x71
x74
x77
x80
x83
x86
x89
x92
x95
x98
x101
x104
x107
x110
x113

0,01819554
0,03402026
– 0,01685383
0,00003510
– 0,00007814
0,04915633
– 0,00000064
0,00007137
0,00021689
0,00010888
– 0,00003633
– 0,00000980
– 0,00000886
0,00012513
– 0,00001008
– 0,00329811
– 0,02466706
– 0,00012369
0,00025689
10,79585085
0,16410084
0,09886817
– 12,51618138
– 0,00003025
– 0,00013210
– 0,00031534
0,00002421
0,00024535
0,00007141
0,01774709
– 0,02221780
0,00516267
0,00184860
– 0,01265988
0,13333009
0,03471900
0,09408101
– 0,02802852

x3
x6
x9
x12
x15
x18
x21
x24
x27
x30
x33
x36
x39
x42
x45
x48
x51
x54
x57
x60
x63
x66
x69
x72
x75
x78
x81
x84
x87
x90
x93
x96
x99
x102
x105
x108
x111
x114

– 0,01880347
– 0,00431013
0,03029107
0,00017285
0,03852565
0,16952262
– 0,00000045
0,00001311
0,00003631
0,00000010
– 0,00000496
– 0,00001532
0,00064604
– 0,00002055
– 0,00017158
0,00018512
– 0,00286098
– 0,04044495
0,00403378
– 0,65106186
0,06306376
0,55302524
– 2,65248635
– 0,00043013
0,00002221
– 0,00001867
– 0,00026088
– 0,00000847
0,00006951
– 0,03618843
– 0,03644020
– 0,02958650
0,00894691
– 0,00912249
0,18105960
0,21910356
0,01363443
0,02757767

4. Descriptions of the measurement points and the statistical method can be found in Part II of the Dutch 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 50 and 120 kilograms.