Correlations Between the Different Pig Carcass Grading Methods Before and After Changing the Romanian National Formula

Classification of pig carcasses trough objective methods of assessment of carcass lean meat content in slaughterhouses began in Romania in autumn 2004. The methods have been approved by a national experimental dissection done according to the EU reference model used to establish lean meat content. A new dissection experiment took place during 2007 and led to change the formulas for calculating from July 2008 for the optical device method (FOM) as well as the two point’s method (ZP). On this background, while applying the new formulas, we found differences in the correlation between the results obtained through the ZP and FOM methods. In order to quantify these differences, a series of experiments have been conducted in a slaughterhouse, applying both methods on a total number of 162 carcasses. From the data`s collected a difference of 1,8 % lean meat content between the results obtained by applying both methods on the same carcasses has been determined, this having important financial implications. In conclusion, a new national dissection experiment is needed for re-correlation of the results of the two methods, as both farmers and slaughterhouse operators may feel cheated by the results, but legislation imposed them as the basis of value calculation for pigs delivered for slaughter.