Classification of pig carcasses in the European Union: historical overview and harmonization challenges

Abstract

The main purpose of the pig sector is to produce saleable meat. For half a century, the major requirement for carcass quality has been the lean meat content. This content is predicted in slaughterhouses by grading methods authorized at the European level. The definition of this content changed in 2018 and Member States are gradually adopting it. New models of devices, using ultrasound, machine vision, or magnetic induction, have appeared on the market, allowing some devices to access new measurements. The development of entire male production has changed the composition of the herd in many countries. The objectives of this literature review are to facilitate the understanding of classification modes in the EU, to take stock of the authorized methods and their accuracy, to anticipate the next changes and to issue some recommendations for a good use of the individual classification results. As of 1 January 2023, 126 grading methods, using around 20 devices, falling under four technologies, were authorized in the EU. Only eight countries had methods predicting the new benchmark criterion. Magnetic induction and ultrasound technologies are on average more accurate than those using reflectance and machine vision. Automatic methods are also more accurate. Nevertheless, a very great variability exists according to the methods, the prediction error being between 1.1 and 2.5 muscle percentage points. Although European regulations have made it possible to achieve a certain degree of harmonization of the classification between Member States, biases taint the comparability of the results.