2008/176/EC: Commission Decision of 22 February 2008 amending Decision 97/107/EC authorising methods for grading pig carcases in Belgium (notified under document number C(2008) 678)
Date: 2008-02-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Belgium, carcase, classification, pigmeat

1.3.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 57/25

COMMISSION DECISION

of 22 February 2008

amending Decision 97/107/EC authorising methods for grading pig carcases in Belgium

(notified under document number C(2008) 678)

(Only the French and Dutch texts are authentic)

(2008/176/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Decision 97/107/EC is amended as follows:

Article 1

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,

1. the following indents are added to the first paragraph of

Article 1:

Commission Decision 97/107/EC (2)
two
methods
and
Giralda Choirometer PG 200) for grading pig carcases in
Belgium.

(Capteur Gras/Maigre — Sydel

authorises
(CGM)

Belgium has asked the Commission to authorise three
new methods of grading pig carcases and has presented
the results of its dissection trials in the second part of the
protocol provided for in Article 3(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 (3).

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

revealed that

request has

this

‘— the apparatus called “VCS 2000” and the assessment
methods related thereto, details of which are given in
Part 3 of the Annex,

— the apparatus called “Hennessy Grading Probe (HGP4)”
and the assessment methods related thereto, details of
which are given in Part 4 of the Annex,

— the apparatus called “Optiscan-TP” and the assessment
methods related thereto, details of which are given in
Part 5 of the Annex;’

2. the Annex is amended in accordance with the Annex to this

Decision.

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium.

Article 2

Decision 97/107/EC should therefore be
accordingly.

amended

Done at Brussels, 22 February 2008.

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

in this Decision are in
the Management

For the Commission

Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(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 39, 8.2.1997, p. 17. Decision as amended by Decision

97/734/EC (OJ L 294, 28.10.1997, p. 6).

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

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

L 57/26

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

1.3.2008

In the Annex to Decision 97/107/EC the following Parts 3, 4 and 5 are added:

ANNEX

‘PART 3

VCS 2000

1. Grading of pig carcasses is carried out by means of the apparatus known as “VCS 2000”.

2. The apparatus 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 carcasses shall be calculated on the basis of 38 variables according to the following

formula:

Ŷ

= 54,078892 + 0,037085 * X5 + 0,256113 * X15 + 0,021655 * X16 + 33,97699 * X59

– 0,079832 * X95
– 0,059871 * X113

– 0,079042 * X96
– 4,149651 * X120

– 0,0768985 * X91

– 0,086669 * X168

X90
X108 + 0,234541 * X109
* X156
0,32873 * X192
27,3973 * X227
3,11945 * X259 + 14,72706 * X270

– 0,545069 * X171

– 0,260074 * X193
– 289 576 * X228 + 425,3549 * X233 + 14,62961 * X234
– 0,949448 * X273

– 0,025001 * X175
– 0,08137 * X196 + 141,2392 * X198 -141 236 * X199
– 0,97067 * X242

– 0,386719 * X173

– 0,149103 * X88
– 0,084983 * X97 + 0,039831 * X107
– 19,9219 * X149
– 36,8824 * X147

– 0,106705 *
– 0,681172 *
– 7,512613
–
– 1,410422 * X186
– 12,7862 * X222
–
– 2,084821 * X243 –

Where

Ŷ

= the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcasses

X5, X15

… X273 are the variables measured by VCS 2000.

4. Descriptions of the measurement points and the statistical method can be found in Part II of the Belgian protocol

forwarded to the Commission in accordance with Article 3(3) of Regulation (EEC) No 2967/85.

This formula shall be valid for carcasses weighing between 60 and 130 kilograms.

PART 4

HENNESSY GRADING PROBE (HGP4)

1. Grading of pig carcasses is carried out by means of the apparatus termed “Hennessy Grading Probe (HGP4)”.

2. The HGP4 apparatus shall be equipped with a probe of 5,95 millimetres diameter (and of 6,3 millimetres at the blade
on top of the probe) containing a photodiode and photodetector 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
HGP4 itself or a computer linked to it.

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

Ŷ = 65,42464 – 1,06279 * X1 + 0,17920 * X2

where

Ŷ

= the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcasses

X1 = fat depth (including skin) in millimetres, measured 6 cm off the split line between the third and fourth last rib

X2 = muscle depth in millimetres, measured 6 cm off the split line between the third and fourth last rib

This formula shall be valid for carcasses weighing between 60 and 130 kilograms.

1.3.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 57/27

1. Grading of pig carcasses is carried out by means of the apparatus termed “Optiscan-TP”.

PART 5

OPTISCAN-TP

2. The Optiscan-TP apparatus shall be equipped with a digital

the two
measurement points on the carcasses. The images are the base for the calculation of fat and muscle thickness
according to the two points method “Zwei-Punkte Messverfahren (ZP)”. The results of the measurements shall be
converted into estimated lean meat content by means of the Optiscan-TP apparatus itself. The photos are saved and
later can be controlled. The integrated Bluetooth® interface permits easy data transfer.

imager taking an illuminated photo of

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

Ŷ = 53,04153 – 0,68318 * X1 + 0,23131 * X2

where

Ŷ

= the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcasses

X1 = smallest fat depth (including skin) over the musculus gluteus medius in millimetres

X2 = lumbar muscle depth in millimetres, measured as the shortest distance from the front (cranial) end of the

musculus gluteus medius to the upper (dorsal) edge of the spinal canal

This formula shall be valid for carcasses weighing between 60 and 130 kilograms.’