2009/11/EC: Commission Decision of 19 December 2008 authorising methods for grading pig carcases in Spain (notified under document number C(2008) 8477)
Date: 2008-12-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Spain, carcase, classification, pigmeat

10.1.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 6/79

COMMISSION DECISION

of 19 December 2008

authorising methods for grading pig carcases in Spain

(notified under document number C(2008) 8477)

(Only the Spanish text is authentic)

(2009/11/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:

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
is defined in
error
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).

in assessment. This

tolerance

subject

of

is

practice

commercial

or
such a derogation.

technical
Article where
requirements warrant
In Spain,
commercial practice may require also the removal of
in addition to the
the forefeet from the pig carcases,
removal of the tongue, bristles, hooves, genital organs,
fare
required by
Article 2(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 3220/84.

and diaphragm as

flat, kidneys

(6)

(7)

(8)

No modification of the apparatus 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.

For the sake of clarity, Decision 88/479/EEC should be
repealed and replaced by a new Decision.

in this Decision are in
The measures provided for
the Management
accordance with the opinion of
Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural
Markets,

Commission Decision 88/479/EEC (3) authorises
four
methods (DEST, FOM, HGP and Autofom) for grading
pig carcases in Spain.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Due to technical adaptations, Spain has asked the
Commission to authorise the update of two methods
(FOM and Autofom),
two new
methods (Ultrafom 300 and VCS2000) and the repeal
of two methods (HGP and DEST), and has presented
the results of its dissection trials in the second part of
the protocol provided for in Article 3(3) of Regulation
(EEC) No 2967/85.

the utilisation of

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

carcases pursuant

(a)

the apparatus termed ‘Fat-O-Meater (FOM)’ and assessment
methods related thereto, details of which are given in Part 1
of the Annex;

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

revealed that

request has

this

In accordance with the
subparagraph of
Article 2(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 3220/84 Member
States may be authorised to provide for a presentation
of pig carcases different from the one specified in that

second

(1) OJ L 301, 20.11.1984, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 285, 25.10.1985, p. 39.
(3) OJ L 234, 24.8.1988, p. 20.

(b) the apparatus termed ‘Fully automatic ultrasonic carcase
grading
related
thereto, details of which are given in Part 2 of the Annex;

assessment methods

(Autofom)’

and

(c)

termed ‘Ultrafom 300’
the apparatus
and assessment
methods related thereto, details of which are given in Part
3 of the Annex;

(d) the apparatus termed ‘Automatic vision system (VCS2000)’
and assessment methods related thereto, details of which are
given in Part 4 of the Annex.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

L 6/80

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

10.1.2009

By way of derogation from Article 2 of Regulation (EEC) No 3220/84, pig carcases may be presented also
without forefeet before being weighed and graded. In this case, in order to establish quotations for pig
carcases on a comparable basis, the recorded hot weight shall be increased by 0,840 kilograms.

Article 2

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

Article 3

Decision 88/479/EEC is repealed.

Article 4

Article 5

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Spain.

Done at Brussels, 19 December 2008.

For the Commission

Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission

10.1.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 6/81

ANNEX

METHODS FOR GRADING PIG CARCASES IN SPAIN

Part 1

FAT-O-MEATER (FOM)

1. Grading of pig carcases shall be carried out by means of the apparatus termed ‘Fat-O-Meater (FOM)’.

2. The apparatus shall be equipped with a probe of 6-millimetre diameter containing a photodiode of the Siemens SFH
950 type and a photodetector (type SFH 960), having an operating distance of between 3 and 103 millimetres. The
results of the measurements are converted into estimated lean meat content by means of a computer.

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

= 66,91 – 0,895 X1 + 0,144 X2

where:

= the estimated lean meat content (in percentage),

X1 = the thickness of the fat between the third and fourth last rib at 60 mm of the midline of the carcase (in

millimetres),

X2 = the thickness of muscle measured at the same time and in the same place as X1 (in millimetres).

This formula shall be valid for carcases weighing between 60 and 120 kilograms.

Part 2

FULLY AUTOMATIC ULTRASONIC CARCASE GRADING (AUTOFOM)
1. Pig carcase grading shall be carried out using the apparatus termed ‘Fully automatic ultrasonic carcase grading

(Autofom)’.

2. The apparatus shall be equipped with sixteen 2 MHz ultrasonic transducers (Krautkrämer, SFK 2 NP), with an

operating distance between transducers of 25 mm.

The ultrasonic data shall comprise measurements of back fat thickness and muscle thickness.

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

3. The carcase’s lean meat content shall be calculated on the basis of 34 measurement points using the following

formula:

= 70,59614 – 0,0904 · V22 – 0,23033 · V23 – 0,15558 · V44 + 0,086638 · V46 – 0,09965 · V48 – 0,10002 ·
V49 – 0,11624 · V51 – 0,05561 · V52 – 0,04854 · V53 – 0,0432 · V54 – 0,00282 · V55 + 0,051829 ·
V57 + 0,036795 · V58 – 0,00519 · V59 – 0,0269 · V60 – 0,06432 · V61 – 0,05323 · V62 – 0,05229 · V64
– 0,0523 · V65 + 0,005645 · V72 – 0,06505 · V73 – 0,04587 · V74 + 0,015041 · V77 + 0,030928 · V78
– 0,08024 · V79 – 0,07275 · V80 – 0,07497 · V85 – 0,06818 · V86 – 0,06875 · V87 – 0,04742 · V90 – 0,00698 ·
V91 + 0,046485 · V92 – 0,10403 · V93 + 0,160475 · V123

where:

= the estimated lean meat content of the carcase,

V22, V23, … V123 are the variables measured with the Autofom.

4. Descriptions of the measurement points and the statistical method can be found in Part II of the Spanish 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 60 and 120 kilograms.

L 6/82

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

10.1.2009

Part 3

ULTRAFOM 300

1. Grading of pig carcases shall be carried out by means of the apparatus termed ‘Ultrafom 300’.

2. The apparatus shall be equipped with an ultrasonic probe at 4 MHz (Krautkrämer MB 4 SE). The ultrasonic signal is
digitised, stored and processed by a microprocessor (type Intel 80 C 32). The results of the measurements shall be
converted into estimated lean meat content by means of the Ultrafom apparatus itself.

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

= 69,22 – 1,023 X1 + 0,116 X2

where:

= the estimated lean meat content (in percentage),

X1 = the thickness of the fat between the third and fourth last rib at 70 mm of the midline of the carcase (in

millimetres),

X2 = the thickness of muscle measured at the same time and in the same place as X1 (in millimetres).

This formula shall be valid for carcases weighing between 60 and 120 kilograms.

Part 4

AUTOMATIC VISION SYSTEM (VCS2000)
1. Grading of pig carcases is carried out by means of the apparatus termed ‘Automatic vision system (VCS2000)’.

2. The apparatus VCS 2000 is a picture-processing system for automatically determining the trade values of pork carcase
halves. The system is used online within the slaughtering production system where via a camera system the carcase
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 carcases shall be calculated on the basis of 70 measurement points according to the

following formula:

– 0,04575 · X81

– 0,03007 · X79

– 0,00075 · X40

– 0,0000715 · X64

– 0,0000814 · X63

= 37,49855 + 0,017715 · X2

– 0,04549 · X52
– 0,0000482 · X67

– 0,02522 · X50
– 0,0000494 · X66

– 0,0000335 · X59
– 0,000093 ·
– 0,00047 · X69 + 0,000304 ·
X62
– 0,02549 ·
X70 + 0,00867 · X77
– 0,04614 ·
– 0,03299 · X95
– 0,0265 · X92
X85
– 0,07282 ·
X106 + 0,012659 · X107 + 0,012256 · X110 + 0,015358 · X113
– 11,4326 ·
X120 + 0,126624 · X142 + 6,052785 · X2/6
– 2,92106 · X85/51 + 8,274608 · X88/51 + 9,886478
– 0,57019 · X83/51
X81/51
· X91/51
– 0,04848 · X50/79 + 0,227913 · X54/79 + 2,845209 · X77/79 + 0,018409 · X86/79
– 261 768 ·
– 0,00838 · X89/79 + 0,007447 · X94/79 + 136,5994 · X27/20 + 182,973 · X29/20
– 6,96096 ·
– 59,2087 · X65/20
X61/20
– 109,736 · X69/20 + 243,641 · X70/20 + 29,84246 · X73/20 + 15,50442 · X74/20
X67/20 + 20,91982 · X68/20

– 0,0399 · X102 + 0,020178 · X103
– 0,23294 · X116 + 0,010157 · X117
– 4,09296 · X79/51

– 13,2893 · X14/10 + 7,287408 · X77/51
– 5,21869 · X84/51

– 6,82665 · X59/20
– 3,21138 · X66/20

– 0,00442 · X47/79

– 16,6166 · X64/20

– 7,85416 · X62/20

– 1,28847 · X82/51

– 0,02472 · X99

– 3,8587 · X63/20

– 0,01742 · X82

– 0,01768 · X83

– 0,03114 · X84

– 0,30367 · X36/59

– 2,07787 · X40/59

– 0,38605 · X42/59

– 1,90547 · X69/59 + 3,554836 · X70/59

where:

= the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcase,

X2, X40, … X70/59 are the variables measured with the VCS2000.

4. Descriptions of the measurement points and the statistical method can be found in Part II of the Spanish 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 60 and 120 kilograms.