Use of digital image analysis to evaluate fat cover in cattle carcasses

• Grant number: 06/05914-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2006
• End date: October 31, 2007
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Principal Investigator: Saulo da Luz e Silva
• Grantee: Felipe Correa da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In the last years Brazil has been responsible for an importance part of international beef market. That market has been increasing the requirements about beef quality and standardization of products, so it is necessary the development of new technologies to meet those requirements. The objective of this research is to compare two methods of evaluation of carcass finishing, one in live animals and other in carcasses, after slaughter. One hundred feedlot finished Nellore steers will be evaluated by ultrasound to estimate backfat thickness between 12th and 13th ribs (EGSU) and over Biceps femoris muscle (EGPU) three to four days prior to slaughter. Twenty four hours after carcass cooling, digital images will be acquired from a predetermined distance and illumination conditions. At that moment, a visual appraisal of carcasses will be made by an experienced technician, to correlate with the other objective traits. Digital images will be analyzed to determine fat distribution of of carcasses. The relationship among different methods will be verified using linear and non-linear models (neural network).