Electromagnetic scanning of pork carcasses in an on-line industrial configuration3

Abstract

The objective of this study was to test and validate electromagnetic scanning of whole pork carcasses in an on-line, integrated, industrial configuration. The electromagnetic (EM) scanner was installed in two pork processing facilities (Plant A and Plant B). Plant A was a small pork fabrication plant that further processed chilled pork carcasses. Carcasses were delivered to Plant A by refrigerated trucks. The amount of EM energy absorbed by the carcasses was recorded as they were conveyed through the EM field. A plot of the absorption units over time (EM scan curve) was used to obtain predictive variables for estimating carcass and primal cut composition. Forty-eight whole, chilled carcasses (Group A) were electromagnetically scanned and conveyed onto the fabrication line. The average percentage carcass lean for Group A was 49.1% (range = 36.5 to 59.5%). Right carcass sides were removed from the processing line, fabricated into primal cuts, and dissected into fat, lean, and bone. Prediction equations were developed from EM scans for weight of total dissected carcass lean (R2 = .830; root mean square error = 1.80 kg), percentage of carcass lean (R2 = .820; root mean square error = 2.29%), and weight of dissected ham, longissimus muscle, and shoulder lean. In Plant B, the electromagnetic scanner was installed at the end of a pork slaughter line to ensure carcass scanning at a consistent carcass temperature. Fifty whole, pre-rigor eviscerated carcasses (Group B) were electromagnetically scanned before entering the chill cooler where fat and loin tissue depths were obtained by an optical grading probe. The average percentage carcass lean for Group B was 46.7% (range = 30.1 to 57.3%). Prediction equations were developed from EM scans for weight of total dissected carcass lean (R2 = .904; root mean square error = 1.59 kg), percentage of carcass lean (R2 = .863; root mean square error = 2.05%), and weight of dissected ham, loin, and shoulder lean. Statistical equations developed for the prediction of dissected primal cut lean were superior from EM scans of Group B (prerigor) carcasses. Electromagnetic scanning proved more statistically efficient than optical probes for predicting weight of dissected carcass lean and percentage of carcass lean. Statistical comparison of EM scan equations from Groups A and B are not completely valid because two different populations of carcasses were tested at different times of the year. The results of this study show that EM scanning has the potential to accurately predict pork carcass composition in a fully automated, on-line industrial configuration.

Use of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in non-ruminant nutrition research

“…A fast, accurate, minimally invasive method that requires little input is considered the ideal for providing information about the animal (Mitchell et al, 2003). Methods currently used in nutrition research include linear body measurements (Maiwashe et al, 2002;Riva et al, 2004), ultrasonography for measuring backfat, muscle depth, and loin eye area (Liu and Stouffer, 1995;Oviedo-Rondón et al, 2007;Case et al, 2012), total body electrical conductivity (Berg et al, 1994;Dänicke et al, 2001;Fortun-Lamothe et al, 2002), video image analysis (McClure et al, 2003;Mollah et al, 2010;Craigie et al, 2012), dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA; Mitchell et al, 1997a;Marcoux et al, 2003; R. Bras. Zootec., 46(7):621-629, 2017 Mercier et al, 2006), computed tomography (CT;Font-iFurnols et al, 2013;Milisits et al, 2013), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; Davenel et al, 2000;Kremer et al, 2012b).…”

“…In addition, ultrasonography has the disadvantage of not generating a complete body image due to insufficient penetration power (Liu and Stouffer, 1995). Other indirect methods, such as total body electrical conductivity, are not addressed in this paper because they may not be precise, since they are affected by the measuring environment and other limiting factors (Berg et al, 1994).…”

Review: Pork belly quality, bacon properties and recent consumer trends

“…Electromagnetic scanning is an effective and reliable means for estimating pork carcass composition (Berg et al 1994). However, this procedure may not work well with cuts with more external and internal fat (e.g., pork belly) as the electromagnetic scanning field penetration is observed to be slowed, resulting in equations of reduced predictive accuracy.…”

Pork carcass composition derived from a neural network model of electromagnetic scans.

“…The data for this study were obtained from Berg et al (1994), who used an MQ-25 electromagnetic scanner (Meat Quality Inc., Springfield, IL) installed in a slaughter plant (Sioux-Preme Packers, Sioux Center, IA) at the end of the existing slaughter line. Fifty warm, prerigor pork carcasses, average weight 82.2 kg ( ± 7.4 kg), were selected from the daily slaughter population.…”

“…Selection occurred over a 4-wk period to obtain carcasses from a variety of production systems representative of hogs marketed at the plant. The right carcass sides were collected, fabricated into wholesale cuts, and dissected into knife-separable components of subcutaneous fat, lean, intermuscular fat, and bone (Berg et al, 1994).…”