Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/113
of 23 January 2020
amending Decision 2009/11/EC authorising methods for grading pig carcasses in Spain
(notified under document C(2020) 232)
(Only the Spanish 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, and in particular Article 20(p) and (t) thereof,
OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671.
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.
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).
(2) By Commission Decision 2009/11/EC, the use of nine methods for grading pig carcasses in Spain was authorised.
Commission Decision 2009/11/EC of 19 December 2008 authorising methods for grading pig carcases in Spain (OJ L 6, 10.1.2009, p. 79).
(3) Modifications of the apparatus or grading methods should not be allowed unless they are explicitly authorised by Commission Implementing Decision.
(4) Spain has requested the Commission to withdraw authorisation of the method ‘Ultrafom 300’ from the list of methods authorised to grading pig carcasses on its territory, since the method is no longer in use on its territory.
(5) Spain has requested the Commission to authorise one new method and updating formulas for three methods for grading pig carcasses on its territory and has presented a detailed description of the dissection trial, indicating the principles on which these 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.
(6) Examination of that request has revealed that the conditions for authorising these grading methods are fulfilled. These grading methods should therefore be authorised in Spain.
(7) Decision 2009/11/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.
(8) 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 Decision 2009/11/EC is amended as follows:
(1) Article 1 is amended as follows:
(a) the first paragraph is amended as follows:
(i) point (c) is deleted;
(ii) point (i) is replaced by the following:

‘(i) the “gmSCAN” apparatus and the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are given in Part 9 of the Annex;’;

(iii) the following point (j) is added:

‘(j) the “OptiScan TP” apparatus and the assessment methods related thereto, details of which are given in Part 10 of the Annex.’;

(b) the second paragraph is replaced by the following:

‘The manual method ZP with a ruler, referred to in point (g) of the first paragraph, shall only be authorised for abattoirs:
(a) where the number of slaughters does not exceed 700 pigs per week on yearly average basis; and
(b) having a slaughter line with a capacity to process no more than 50 pigs per hour.’;

(2) the Annex is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Decision.
Article 2 This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Spain.
Done at Brussels, 23 January 2020.
For the Commission
Janusz Wojciechowski
Member of the Commission
ANNEX The Annex is amended as follows:
(1) Part 3 is deleted;
(2) Parts 5, 6 and 7 are replaced by the following:

‘Part 5 FAT-O-MEAT’ER (FOM II)
1. 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 “Fat-O-Meat’er (FOM II)”.
2. The apparatus is a new version of the Fat-O-Meat’er measurement system. The FOM II consists of an optical probe with a knife, a depth measurement device having an operating distance of between 0 and 125 millimetres and a data acquisition and analysis board – Carometec Touch Panel i15 computer (Ingress Protection IP69K). The results of the measurements are converted into estimated lean meat content by the FOM II apparatus itself.

3. The lean meat content of a carcass shall be calculated according to the following formula:
Ŷ = 69,592 – (0,741 × X1)+ (0,066 × X2)
where:
Ŷ = the estimated percentage of lean meat in a carcass;
X1 = the thickness of back-fat (including rind) in millimetres, measured perpendicularly to the back of the carcass at 6 cm of the split line, between the third and fourth last ribs;
X2 = the thickness of the dorsal muscle in millimetres, measured at the same time, in the same place and in the same way as X1.
This formula shall be valid for carcasses weighing between 60 and 120 kilograms (warm weight).

Part 6 AUTOFOM III
1. 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 “AutoFOM III”.
2. The apparatus shall be equipped with sixteen 2 MHz ultrasonic transducers (Carometec A/S), with an operating distance between transducers of 25 mm. The ultrasonic data shall comprise measurements of back fat thickness, muscle thickness and related parameters. The results of the measurements are converted into estimates of the percentage of lean meat by using a computer.

3. The lean meat content of a carcass shall be calculated according to the following formula:
Ŷ = 75,39088 – (1,39968 × R2P1) – (0,45787 × R2P4) – (0,47094 × R2P10) + (0,20349 × R4P6)
where:
Ŷ = the estimated percentage of lean meat in a carcass,
R2P1 = the average thickness of the skin;
R2P4 = the P2 fat measure at the selected position in mm;
R2P10 = minimum fat of the cross-section in mm;
R4P6 = the fat 1 measurements in the selected MFT point.
This formula is valid for carcasses weighing between 60 and 120 kg (warm weight).

Part 7 MANUAL METHOD (ZP)
1. The rules provided for in this Part shall apply when the grading of pig carcasses is carried out by use of the “manual method (ZP)” measuring by ruler.
2. 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.

3. The lean meat content of carcasses shall be calculated according to the following formula:
Ŷ = 66,324 – (0,526 × F) + (0,034 × M)
where:
Ŷ = the estimated percentage of lean meat in the carcass,
F = the minimum thickness of visible fat (including rind), in millimetres, on the midline of the split carcass in millimetres, covering the muscle gluteus medius,
M = the visible thickness of the lumbar muscle, in millimetres, on the midline of the split carcass, measured as the shortest connection between the front (cranial) end of the muscle gluteus medius and the upper (dorsal) edge of the vertebral canal.
This formula shall valid for carcasses weighing between 60 and 120 kg (warm weight).’;

(3) the following Part 10 is added:

‘Part 10 OPTISCAN TP
1. 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”.
2. 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.

3. The lean meat content of a carcass shall be calculated according to the following formula:
Ŷ = 67,496 – (0,522 x F) + (0,032 x M)
where:
Ŷ = the estimated percentage of lean meat in a carcass;
F = the minimal thickness of visible fat (including rind) in millimetres, on the midline of the split carcass, covering the muscle gluteus medius;
M = the visible thickness of the lumbar muscle, in millimetres, on the midline of the split carcass, measured as the shortest connection between the front (cranial) end of the muscle gluteus medius and the upper (dorsal) edge of the vertebral canal.
This formula shall be valid for carcasses weighing between 60 and 120 kilograms (warm weight).’.