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Prediction of lean meat proportion in pig carcasses and in the major cuts from multiple measurements made with the Hennessy Grading Probe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

B. Hulsegge ,
P. Sterrenburg  and
G. S. M. Merkus
B. Hulsegge
Affiliation:
DLO-Research Institute for Animal Production ‘Schoonoord’, PO Box 501, 3700 AM Zeist, The Netherlands
P. Sterrenburg
Affiliation:
DLO-Research Institute for Animal Production ‘Schoonoord’, PO Box 501, 3700 AM Zeist, The Netherlands
G. S. M. Merkus
Affiliation:
DLO-Research Institute for Animal Production ‘Schoonoord’, PO Box 501, 3700 AM Zeist, The Netherlands
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Abstract

Measurements were carried out on 200 selected carcasses in order to investigate whether single or multiple site measurements could provide an accurate estimation of the lean meat proportion in the carcass and the major cuts i.e. ham, shoulder, loin and belly. Fat measurements were taken with the Hennessy Grading Probe II at 17 sites on the left side of the carcass, and muscle measurements at four of these sites. The day after selection 200 left sides were dissected according to the simplified European Community (EC) reference method.

Fifty of these left sides were further dissected according to the full EC reference method. The use of multiple site measurements, compared with a single site measurement, only slightly reduced the residual s.d. of the estimated lean meat proportion in the carcass and the major cuts, e.g. addition of a second site measurement reduced the residual s.d. values by 0·3 to 1·3 gjkg only. The measurement between the 13th and 14th thoracic vertebrae, 7 cm off the dorsal mid line, appeared to be the best single estimator, of the sites probed, for lean meat proportion in the carcass and in the major cuts. Prediction of lean meat proportion in the belly appeared to be problematic (residual s.d.> 29 g/kg).

During the experiment two problems emerged. Firstly, the algorithm, which calculates fat and muscle thickness from the optically measured tissue profile, was not appropriate for every site. Secondly, the definition of the probing position did not always coincide with the anatomical position of the intended superficial layer of muscle underneath the subcutaneous fat.

Keywords

carcass compositionHennessy Grading Probelean proportionpigs
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 59 , Issue 1 , August 1994 , pp. 119 - 123
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1994

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