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 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 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].

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

(3) Due to technical adaptations, the Government of 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.

(4) The evaluation of this request has revealed that the conditions for authorising these grading methods are fulfilled.

(5) No modification of the apparatuses or grading methods 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(6) For the sake of clarity, Decision 87/131/EEC should be repealed and replaced by a new decision.

(7) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Pigmeat,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

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

(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 Regulation (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).

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ANNEX

Methods for grading pig carcases in the Netherlands

PART 1

Hennessy Grading Probe (HGP 2)

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

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= 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,

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

p= 1/ (1 + exp (– η)),

where:

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.

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:

predicted lean meat percentage,

X1= 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,

X2= 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.

PART 2

VISION system (VCS 2000)

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

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.

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

x1 – 0,02578308

x2 0,01819554

x3 – 0,01880347

x4 0,01336851

x5 0,03402026

x6 – 0,00431013

x7 0,01399586

x8 – 0,01685383

x9 0,03029107

x10 0,00001618

x11 0,00003510

x12 0,00017285

x13 – 0,00006323

x14 – 0,00007814

x15 0,03852565

x16 0,03703442

x17 0,04915633

x18 0,16952262

x19 – 0,07474948

x20 – 0,00000064

x21 – 0,00000045

x22 – 0,00000217

x23 0,00007137

x24 0,00001311

x25 0,00005955

x26 0,00021689

x27 0,00003631

x28 0,00003996

x29 0,00010888

x30 0,00000010

x31 – 0,00002481

x32 – 0,00003633

x33 – 0,00000496

x34 – 0,00000991

x35 – 0,00000980

x36 – 0,00001532

x37 – 0,00000254

x38 – 0,00000886

x39 0,00064604

x40 – 0,00057968

x41 0,00012513

x42 – 0,00002055

x43 – 0,00000035

x44 – 0,00001008

x45 – 0,00017158

x46 0,00019477

x47 – 0,00329811

x48 0,00018512

x49 0,02520693

x50 – 0,02466706

x51 – 0,00286098

x52 – 0,01983356

x53 – 0,00012369

x54 – 0,04044495

x55 0,00069282

x56 0,00025689

x57 0,00403378

x58 0,00028090

x59 10,79585085

x60 – 0,65106186

x61 – 0,29583150

x62 0,16410084

x63 0,06306376

x64 – 2,22708974

x65 0,09886817

x66 0,55302524

x67 – 1,38136772

x68 – 12,51618138

x69 – 2,65248635

x70 9,08361318

x71 – 0,00003025

x72 – 0,00043013

x73 – 0,00083619

x74 – 0,00013210

x75 0,00002221

x76 – 0,00007579

x77 – 0,00031534

x78 – 0,00001867

x79 – 0,00003067

x80 0,00002421

x81 – 0,00026088

x82 0,00067359

x83 0,00024535

x84 – 0,00000847

x85 0,00003206

x86 0,00007141

x87 0,00006951

x88 – 0,04465410

x89 0,01774709

x90 – 0,03618843

x91 – 0,02700865

x92 – 0,02221780

x93 – 0,03644020

x94 – 0,01766434

x95 0,00516267

x96 – 0,02958650

x97 – 0,01189834

x98 0,00184860

x99 0,00894691

x100 0,01586154

x101 – 0,01265988

x102 – 0,00912249

x103 0,02734395

x104 0,13333009

x105 0,18105960

x106 – 0,06387375

x107 0,03471900

x108 0,21910356

x109 – 0,12423421

x110 0,09408101

x111 0,01363443

x112 0,06193271

x113 – 0,02802852

x114 0,02757767

x115 0,00035641

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.

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