The preconditions have now been created for the introduction of electronic assessment of pork carcasses in slaughterhouses, according to a new report from Matís on the results of measurements of the meat ratio of pork. An electronic assessment, which measures the proportion of meat in pork carcasses, gives more accurate results than has been published so far. It facilitates all communication between slaughterhouses and farmers as well as slaughterhouses and meat processing plants where pricing and meat ratio will go hand in hand.
The report also states that the variability of the Icelandic pig population is so small that there is no significant deviation even though the same calculation formula is used, according to measuring instruments, for all pigs.
The reason why it is now possible to introduce electronic food is that the breeding of pig farmers in this country has become purposeful and that the same pig population is used on all farms. The thickness of fat and muscle at certain measuring points has been assessed with electronic measuring devices and these results are compared with information from the Norwegian meat assessment. This was necessary to study the variability of Icelandic pigs within the population as well as between farms. Pig populations in Iceland are comparable to those in Norway.
The project was carried out for the Icelandic Pig Breeding Association.