Pig Carcass Quality Evolution in Romania

Abstract

The Romanian Carcass Classification Commission (RCCC) was established in 2004 and it became the official partner for delivering carcass quality information to the European Commission in 2007. RCCC is the NGO serving the interests of the private stakeholders in the meat chain (farmers, slaughterhouses, processors, and traders), which guarantees the neutrality and objectivity of carcass quality assessment according to SEUROP grading system’s legally binding rules. Considering the importance of an independent assessment of the slaughter pig quality for the entire food chain, the analysis of the carcass quality evolution in Romania is important for future benchmarking and trend assessments as well. The current review is based on the public data developed in time by the RCCC. It demonstrates the importance of a professional organization measuring the quality of carcass in slaughtered pigs and its impact on the meat chain as a whole, both for its stakeholders and consumers. It also highlights the evolution of the pig carcasses produced in Romania, underlining the main factors involved and expected trends under the current circumstances of the presence and spread of the African Swine Fever virus (ASF) within Romania in the last four years. The main conclusion is that while the carcass quality improved over time, the graded carcass number decreased after 2017, primarily due to ASF outbreaks in commercial farms and the overall reduction of the farmed pig inventory, and increasing dependence of Romanian consumers on imports.