Vol. 512 No. 5
34 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the progress made in trials for the mechanised grading of beef carcases; when the results of the research will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26339/99]
This trial, involving the mechanised grading of beef carcasses, was carried out in a meat plant in August. The trial is designed to test the accuracy of three machines from Denmark, Germany and Australia in classifying carcasses against the EUROP carcass classification scale and in estimating meat yield.
The results of the trial, which were the subject of a visit by relevant EU officials during its operation, are being analysed at present and it is expected that an official report will be available towards the end of January or early February next year.
The information obtained from the trial will be pooled by the EU Commission with data available from other member states, with a view to progressing the introduction of a mechanical classification system.
