By Geoff Geddes, for Swine Innovation Porc
With apologies to twins and the 4-person bobsled,the best things come in threes. That’s especially true of 3D technology, which offers some intriguing possibilities for the pork industry.Use of 3D vision systems for rapid and objective assessment of hog carcass quality is a great example of a hi-tech, high impact application generated by the latest research.
“There’s a growing interest in carcass quality among producers for a simple reason: it’s how they get paid,” said Dr. Candido Pomar, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “Until now my research focus has been pig nutrition, but I’ve been getting requests from swine producer associations to work on carcass quality as it’s the area that most impacts their members.”
In evaluating grading systems in Canada,however, Dr. Pomar observed that such systems,and carcass evaluation methods in general,are not very effective in measuring carcass composition.
Location, location, location
In general, a lean carcass has more value than a fat carcass. Ultimately, however, the value of a carcass depends not on the amount of fat and lean, which is the focus of the current system, but on where that fat and lean are located. If there’s leanness in the shoulder,ham or loin, each area will carry a different value.
“The most important thing is to have fat in the belly as it’s the most expensive part of the carcass and gives you more value per kilo.”
Faced with the question of how to measure carcass value more accurately, Dr. Pomar and his colleague, Dr. Marcel Marcoux, found the answer in 3D technology.
“We felt the best approach was to work with images rather than just fat and muscle depth,and we also thought that conformation was a key aspect of carcass value,” said Dr. Pomar.Using the 3D system, we were able to gauge very precisely the lean and fat distribution and thus the value of the carcass.”
Yielding results
In addition to more accurately assessing carcass weight and leanness, 3D technology can also better determine the weight and lean yield of each carcass cut, allowing for more efficient carcass sorting and assessment.
“We are providing industry with a new tool that will significantly improve our ability to estimate the real value of the carcass and tell the plant
how much revenue they can generate if they cut it a certain way. For example, do they cut it to a Canadian, U.S. or Japanese standard?What makes the most sense for a particular cut and will generate the most dollars?”
Source : Swine Innovation Porc