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Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990)

Regulations

Regulations regarding the Classification and Marking of Meat intended for sale in the Republic of South Africa

Classification of Pig Carcasses

12. Determination of percentage meat

 

(1) The percentage meat of a pig carcass shall be calculated after—
(a) the fat thickness and muscle thickness have been measured by means of an electronic thickness meter between the 2nd and 3rd last rib, and 60mm from the midline of the carcass, while the carcass is in a hanging position;
(b) the fat thickness has been measured by means of an intrascope, between the 2nd and 3rd last rib, and 60 mm from the midline of the carcass, while the carcass is in a hanging position;
(c) the fat thickness ('F') and muscle thickness ('M') have been measured by means of a linear measuring device, such as a ruler or calliper, on the split carcass, respectively on the thinnest place above the gluteus medius muscle and the distance between the cranial (front) tip of the gluteus medius and the dorsal (upper) edge of the vertebral canal, as indicated in Figure 1 below.

 

R3450 Fig 1 Measuring points

[Regulation 12(1) substituted by section 6(a) of Notice No. R. 3450, GG48654, dated 26 May 2023 - effective 26 November 2023]

 

(2) The percentage meat shall, depending on the measuring technique used, be calculated by means of the following formulae, where fat thickness and muscle thickness is expressed in mm:
(a) Percentage meat with electronic thickness meter = 68.052 - (0.830 x fat thickness) + (0.068 x muscle thickness).
(b) Percentage meat with intrascope = 70.952 - (0.891 x fat thickness).
(c) Percentage meat with linear measuring device = 59.73 - (0.517 x fat thickness ('F')) + (0.098 x muscle thickness ('M')).

[Regulation 12(2) substituted by section 6(b) of Notice No. R. 3450, GG48654, dated 26 May 2023 - effective 26 November 2023]

 

(3) The result of a calculation set out in subregulation (2) shall be rounded to the nearest integer before a carcass is classified.