COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2020/1728

of 17 November 2020

on authorising methods for grading pig carcasses in Croatia

(notified under document C(2020) 7880)

(Only the Croatian text is authentic)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (1), and in particular Article 20(p) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Point 1 of Section B.IV of Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 provides that, for the classification of pig carcasses, the lean-meat content has to be assessed by means of grading methods authorised by the Commission and only statistically proven assessment methods based on the physical measurement of one or more anatomical parts of the pig carcass may be authorised. The authorisation of grading methods should be subject to compliance with a maximum tolerance for statistical error in assessment. That tolerance is defined in Part A of Annex V to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/1182 (2).

(2) Croatia has requested the Commission to authorise five methods (‘Hennessy Grading Probe 2 (HGP2)’, ‘Hennessy Grading Probe 7 (HGP7)’, ‘OptiGrade-MCP’, ‘OptiScan-TP’ and ‘Manual method-ZP’). For that purpose, Croatia has presented a detailed description of the dissection trial, indicating the principles on which the methods are based, the results of its dissection trial and the equations used for assessing the percentage of lean meat in the protocol provided for in Article 11(3) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/1182.

(3) Examination of that request has revealed that the conditions for authorising the grading methods are fulfilled. These grading methods and formulas should therefore be authorised in Croatia.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

1. The use of the following methods is authorised for grading pig carcasses pursuant to Point 1 of Section B.IV of Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 in Croatia:

(a) the ‘Hennessy Grading Probe 2 (HGP2)’ apparatus and the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are set out in Part I of the Annex;

(b) the ‘Hennessy Grading Probe 7 (HGP7)’ apparatus and the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are set out in Part II of the Annex;

(c) the ‘OptiGrade-MCP’ apparatus and the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are set out in Part III of the Annex.

(d) the ‘OptiScan-TP’ and the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are set out in Part IV of the Annex.

(e) the ‘manual method (ZP)’ with a ruler and the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are set out in Part V of the Annex.

2. The manual method ZP with a ruler and the assessment methods related thereto, referred to in point (e) of paragraph 1, shall only be authorised for slaughterhouses where the number of pigs slaughtered per week does not exceed 500, calculated as an annual average.

Article 2

Modifications of the authorised apparatuses or grading methods shall not be allowed unless explicitly authorised by Commission Implementing Decision.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Croatia.

Done at Brussels, 17 November 2020.

For the Commission

Janusz WOJCIECHOWSKI

Member of the Commission

(1)

OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671

(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/1182 of 20 April 2017 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the Union scales for the classification of beef, pig and sheep carcasses and as regards the reporting of market prices of certain categories of carcasses and live animals (

OJ L 171, 4.7.2017, p. 74

ANNEX

Methods for grading pig carcasses in Croatia

PART I

Hennessy Grading Probe 2 (HGP 2)

The rules provided for in this part shall apply when the grading of pig carcasses is carried out by means of the apparatus known as ‘Hennessy Grading Probe 2 (HGP 2)’.

The 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 (Siemens LED 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 lean meat content of a carcass shall be calculated according to the following formula:

LMP

HGP 2

= 68,54165 – (0,7727577 × F) + (0,008924575 × M)

where:

LMP

HGP 2

the estimated percentage of lean meat in a carcass;

the thickness of backfat (including rind) in millimetres, measured 7 centimetres off the split line on the outside and 4 cm off the split line on the inside between the second and third last rib;

the thickness of muscle in millimetres, measured at the same time and in the same place as F.

This formula shall be valid for carcasses weighing between 60 and 120 kilograms (warm weight).

PART II

Hennessy Grading Probe 7 (HGP 7)

The rules provided for in this part shall apply when the grading of pig carcasses is carried out by means of the apparatus known as ‘Hennessy Grading Probe 7 (HGP 7)’.

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

LMP

HGP 7

= 66,92177 – (0,7505144 × F) + (0,03170816 × M)

where:

LMP

HGP 7

the estimated percentage of lean meat in a carcass;

the thickness of backfat (including rind) in millimetres, measured 7 centimetres off the split line on the outside and 4 cm off the split line on the inside between the second and third last rib;

the thickness of muscle in millimetres, measured at the same time and in the same place as F.

This formula shall be valid for carcasses weighing between 60 and 120 kilograms (warm weight).

PART III

OptiGrade-MCP

The rules provided for in this part shall apply when the grading of pig carcasses is carried out by means of the apparatus known as ‘OptiGrade-MCP’.

The apparatus shall be equipped with an optical probe of 6 mm in diameter, one infrared photodiode (Siemens) and a photo transistor (Siemens). The operating distance shall be between 0 and 110 mm.

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

LMP

MCP

= 66,863 – (0,6809437 × F) + (0,02633554 × M)

where:

LMP

MCP

the estimated percentage of lean meat in a carcass;

the thickness of backfat (including rind) in millimetres, measured 7 centimetres off the split line on the outside and 4 cm off the split line on the inside between the second and third last rib;

the thickness of muscle in millimetres, measured at the same time and in the same place as F.

This formula shall be valid for carcasses weighing between 60 and 120 kilograms (warm weight).

PART IV

OptiScan-TP

The rules provided for in this part shall apply when the grading of pig carcasses is carried out by means of the apparatus known as ‘OptiScan TP’.

The OptiScan-TP apparatus shall be equipped with a digital imager taking an illuminated photo of the two measurement points on the carcasses. The images shall be the base for the calculation of fat and muscle thickness. 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 can later be controlled. The integrated Bluetooth® interface permits easy data transfer.

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

LMP

= 66,52167 – (0,5215984 × F) + (0, 01604653 × M)

where:

LMP

the estimated percentage of lean meat in a carcass;

the minimal thickness of visible fat (including rind) in millimetres, on the midline of the split carcass, covering the muscle

gluteus medius;

the minimal muscle depth between the anterior extremity of the muscle gluteus medius and the dorsal part of the medullar canal

This formula shall be valid for carcasses weighing between 60 and 120 kilograms (warm weight).

PART V

Manual method (ZP)

The rules provided for in this part shall apply when the grading of pig carcasses is carried out by means of the ‘manual method (ZP)’ measuring by ruler.

This method may be implemented using a ruler, with the grading determined on the basis of the prediction equation. It is based on the manual measurement on the midline of the split carcass of the thickness of the fat and of the thickness of the muscle.

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

LMP

= 66,18242 – (0, 5312573 × F) + (0,02048905 × M)

where:

LMP

the estimated percentage of lean meat in a carcass;

the minimal thickness of visible fat (including rind) in millimetres, on the midline of the split carcass, covering the muscle

gluteus medius;

the minimal muscle depth between the anterior extremity of the muscle gluteus medius and the dorsal part of the medullar canal

This formula shall be valid for carcasses weighing between 60 and 120 kilograms (warm weight).