MEAT CARCASS GRADING IN THE FUTURE

Abstract

A fully functional grading or classification system must allow trading in carcasses and meat to be conducted without the buyer needing to inspect the product personally. To achieve this, the system must accurately indicate the quantity of meat, the intrinsic quality of the meat, and any aspects of appearance which would influence retail acceptability. An objective system is proposed which could be applied to carcasses of all genera and would allow all the necessary information for confident remote trading. The grading information would indicate the actual weight of lean meat in the carcass together with the important indicators of appropriate retail outlet (size, age, fat thickness and absence of defects). Other information on the label would indicate postslaughter treatments likely to influence the palatability of the meat. Key words: Carcass, grading, meat quality