2006/784/EC: Commission Decision of 14 November 2006 authorising methods for grading pig carcases in France (notified under document number C(2006) 5400)   (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2006-11-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: France, agricultural product nomenclature, carcase, classification, pigmeat

17.11.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 318/27

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 14 November 2006

authorising methods for grading pig carcases in France

(notified under document number C(2006) 5400)

(Only the French text is authentic)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2006/784/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:

(6)

(7)

Decision adopted in the light of experience gained. For
this reason, the present authorisation may be revoked.

For the sake of clarity Decision 97/28/EC should be
repealed and replaced by this Decision.

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

in this Decision are in
the Management

Under Article 2(3) of Regulation (EEC) No 3220/84, the
grading of pig carcases is to be determined by estimating
the lean-meat content by means of statistically proven
assessment methods based on the physical measurement
of one or more anatomical parts of the pig carcase. The
authorisation
to
grading methods
compliance with a maximum tolerance for statistical
error in assessment. This tolerance is defined in Article
3(2) of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2967/85 of 24
October 1985 laying down detailed rules for the appli-
cation of
grading pig
carcases (2).

the Community

subject

scale

for

of

is

Commission Decision 97/28/EC (3) authorises a main
method for grading pig carcases in France. Two other
methods may also be used subject to the equivalence
of results.

In view of technical developments in the herd, the French
Government has asked the Commission to authorise the
use of new formulae for
the methods used under
Decision 97/28/EC and has presented the elements
required under Article 3 of Regulation (EEC) No
2967/85 to this end.

Examination of
the
conditions for authorising these grading methods are
fulfilled.

revealed that

request has

this

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

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 France:

carcases pursuant

(a)

the Capteur Gras/Maigre — Sydel (CGM) apparatus and the
assessment methods related thereto, details of which are
given in Part 1 of the Annex;

(b) the CSB Ultra-Meater apparatus and the assessment methods
related thereto, details of which are given in Part 2 of the
Annex;

(c)

the manual method (ZP) 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 slaughter-
houses which do not exceed a weekly slaughtering of 200 pigs.

No modification of the apparata or grading methods may
be authorised except by means of a new Commission

Article 2

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

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

(2) OJ L 285, 25.10.1985, p. 39. Regulation last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 1197/2006 (OJ L 217, 8.8.2006, p. 6).

(3) OJ L 12, 15.1.1997, p. 30. Decision amended by Decision

97/473/EC (OJ L 200, 29.7.1997, p. 64).

Notwithstanding the standard presentation referred to in Article
2 of Regulation (EEC) No 3220/84, pig carcases may be
presented with the tongue attached during weighing and
grading. In this case,
in order to establish quotations for pig
carcases on a comparable basis, the recorded hot weight shall be
reduced by 0,5 %.

L 318/28

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

17.11.2006

Article 3

Article 5

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

This Decision is addressed to the French Republic.

Article 4

Decision 97/28/EC is hereby repealed.

However, up to 17 December 2006, France may continue to
apply the methods for grading pig carcases authorised under
Decision 97/28/EC in place of the methods laid down by this
Decision.

Done at Brussels, 14 November 2006.

For the Commission

Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission

17.11.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 318/29

ANNEX

METHODS FOR GRADING PIG CARCASES IN FRANCE

PART 1
Capteur Gras/Maigre — Sydel (CGM)

1. Grading of pig carcases is carried out by means of the apparatus known as ‘Capteur Gras/Maigre — Sydel (CGM

version 01-A)’.

2. The apparatus shall be equipped with a high-definition Sydel probe 8 mm in diameter, a light-emitting infra-red diode

(Honeywell) and two light sensors (Honeywell). The operating distance shall be between 0 and 95 mm.

The results of the measurements shall be converted into estimated lean meat content by the CGM itself.

3. The lean meat content of carcases shall be calculated using the following formula:

= 63,20 – 0,334 G1 – 0,427 G2 + 0,144 M2

where:

= the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcase,

G1 = the thickness of the fat (including rind), between the third and fourth last lumbar vertebrae, at 8 cm off the

dorsal midline, at a trajectory perpendicular to the rind (in millimetres),

G2 = the thickness of the fat (including rind), between the third and fourth last ribs, at 6 cm off the dorsal midline, at

a trajectory perpendicular to this line (in millimetres),

M2 = the thickness of the muscle, between the third and fourth last ribs, at 6 cm off the dorsal midline, at a trajectory

perpendicular to this line (in millimetres).

This formula shall be valid for carcases weighing between 45 and 125 kg.

PART 2

CSB Ultra-Meater

1. Grading of pig carcases shall be carried out by means of the apparatus termed ‘CSB Ultra-Meater version 3.0’.

2. The apparatus shall be equipped with a 3,5 MHz probe (Pie Medical). The operating distance shall be between 0 and

200 mm.

The results of the measurements shall be converted into estimated lean meat content using a computer.

3. The lean meat content of carcases shall be calculated using the following formula:

= 62,68 – 0,921 G + 0,204 M

where:

= the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcase,

G = the thickness of the fat (including rind), between the second and third last lumbar ribs, at 6 cm off the dorsal

midline, at a trajectory perpendicular to the rind (in millimetres),

M = the thickness of the muscle, between the second and third last lumbar ribs, at 6 cm off the dorsal midline, at a

trajectory perpendicular to the rind (in millimetres).

This formula shall be valid for carcases weighing between 45 and 125 kg.

L 318/30

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

17.11.2006

PART 3

Manual method (ZP)

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

2. This method may be implemented using a ruler, with the gradings 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:

= 55,99 – 0,514 Gf + 0,157 Mf

where:

= the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcase,

Gf = the thickness of visible fat on the midline of the split carcase in millimetres, covering the glutaeus medius muscle

(in millimetres),

Mf = the visible thickness of the lumbar muscle on the midline of the split carcase, measured as the shortest
connection between the front (cranial) end of the glutaeus medius muscle and the upper (dorsal) edge of the
vertebral canal (in millimetres).

This formula shall be valid for carcases weighing between 45 and 125 kg.