Pig Meat Classification for Ukraine

The EU defined a uniform regulation on pig carcass classification through Council Regulation (EEC) Nr 3320/84 of 13 November 1984. This regulation was further refined by Commission Regulation (EEC) Nr 2967/85 of 24 October 1985. The lean meat content was initially derived from dissection of all striated muscle tissue from the carcass using a knife. However, this method led to variations between countries, resulting in a less subjective way to determine the meat content using classification instruments. The EU has implemented a wide range of classification equipment, including invasive probes such as Fat-O-Meat'er, PG 200, or Hennessy GP, non-invasive instruments such as ultrasonic scanners, and robotic autofom systems. All EU member states have implemented the system, with some countries adopting the legislation earlier than others, often depending on their economic interests. The EU does not actively financially support the adoption of legislation in existing member states, but it does support new member states in implementing EU legislation. The EU classification system, known as SEUROP, was developed through several years of discussions and has evolved since its introduction. The system was agreed upon by all EU countries, and therefore, all countries were obliged to implement it. During the development process, stakeholders in the countries were consulted, but ultimately, the politicians took the final decision. The official EU method of carcass classification and dissection is based on Commission Regulation (EC) No 1249/2008 of 10 December 2008. For pigs, the relevant information is mentioned under Chapter III of the pigmeat sector. The dissection method is specified in Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 of 22 October 2007, establishing a common organisation of agricultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agricultural products. The EU method of carcass dissection, based on the work of Cook and Yates (1992), involves dissection of only the four main parts of the carcass, which represent 75% of the total striated muscles. This method is described in Commission Regulation (EC) No 3127/94 of 20 December 1994 and later refined in Annex IV of Regulation (EC) n° 1249/2008 of 10 December 2008. EU member states must submit their methods, including the equipment they intend to authorize, to the Commission for authorization. Only statistically proven assessment methods based on the physical measurement of one or more anatomical parts of the pig carcass are authorized. For example, the Commission approved the pig grading methods proposed by the Czech Republic in 2013, which was published in the Official Journal of the EU. The Commission also approved Belgium for the use of specific equipment for grading pig carcasses.