Use of video image analysis for the evaluation of beef carcasses

Video image analysis was used for the objective evaluation of beef carcasses parts as an additional parameter of the carcass classification. The pictures of cross sections of dorsal parts of beef carcasses between 8 t h and 9 t h vertebra were taken under industrial conditions and evaluated using LUCIA software. The areas of muscle and adipose tissues were thresholded on several ways (the whole loin area, the areas of individual muscles and those of different loin sections) and the correlations between these areas were searched. The best correlations were found between large areas. Video image analysis proved to be a suitable method for the evaluation of selected carcass parts.