Validation trials for the prediction of water holding capacity of pork meat by vision and VisNIR spectroscopy

There is some recent interest in the French pork meat sector to test new parameters for carcass grading in slaughterhouses, and water holding capacity is at the top of the list. Many feasibility studies have been conducted at IFIP in the last ten years for the prediction of water holding capacity with different technologies (vision systems, VisNIRS, hyperspectral imaging). The aim of the DATAPORC project is to compare technologies, from accuracy, integration and traceability concerns on a large validation population. 7 devices designed for industrial purpose were tested in trials conducted in 4 slaughterhouses on a three-year period, with a total of 5562 carcasses. This paper presents the results obtained in the first slaughterhouse on deboned hams with two technologies: Visible and Near InfraRed spectroscopy (VisNIRS) with contact probe and color evaluation with vision system.