News
Dutch pigs getting meatier
15 April 2005THE NETHERLANDS - The average percentage of meat in pigs slaughtered in the Netherlands continued its upward trend in 2004. There are fewer and fewer animals with a low percentage of meat.
As a result, the general trend in the Netherlands is towards greater uniformity. Dutch meat plants are therefore ideally placed to supply uniform consignments of pigmeat of excellent quality.
This high standard of product and production quality in the Dutch pig industry is due to the efforts of individual pig farmers and meat plants. Nearly all these establishments operate in accordance with the strict standards of the Dutch IKB (Integrated Chain Control) quality assurance system. Dutch pigs fully meet the specifications of customers, featuring good musculature and a high percentage of meat. Classification results over the years demonstrate that the Dutch pig industry is constantly adapting to growing demand for this type of pigmeat.
The percentage of animals with good or very good musculature (type A or AA) also rose in 2004. This upward trend has been evident since modern pig classification methods were introduced in the late 1980s. In 1989, 83% of all pigs slaughtered in the Netherlands had good or very good musculature; the figure now exceeds 90%. Over the same period the percentage of meat has also increased from an average of 53.2% in 1990 to 56.3% in 2003, rising again in 2004 to 56.4%. The number of pigs with a low percentage of meat (up to 50%) fell by more than 10% in 2004 (see Figure 1).
In the Netherlands the independent Central Bureau of Slaughter-stock Services (CBS) is responsible for classifying slaughtered pigs. Qualified CBS inspectors guarantee that carcasses are classified in an independent and expert manner. Customers can rest assured that this classification procedure is uniform throughout the country.
The quality of the classification and the excellent results obtained prove that buyers of Dutch pigmeat can rely on their supplier for meat that perfectly matches their requirements. The Dutch pig industry will continue to keep close track of shifts in demand for pigmeat so that production can be adapted accordingly.
Source: Dutch Meat Board - 15th April 2005
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