Determining the lean content of pork carcasses

Carcass lean yield is defined as the proportion of tissues of interest of a carcass obtained according to a reference method. Carcass lean yield is associated with the carcass commercial value. This chapter reviews the across-countries definitions of pork carcass lean yield, the technologies that are available today for both the on-line determination of these lean yields and the precise measure of the weight of the tissues of interest. The limits of actual definitions of lean yields and of the methods used for predicting carcass lean composition are discussed. Future directions for the on-line determination of carcass value are given.