• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.114-120
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• 2024

Background: The Hanwoo industry must develop technologies that can increase the production of preferred cuts to match changing consumer trends. In this study, we aimed to estimate the genetic parameters for carcass traits (carcass weight, eye muscle area, back fat thickness, and intramuscular fat) and primal cut traits (tenderloin, loin, strip loin, neck, clod, top round, bottom round, brisket, shank, and rib) in a Hanwoo population to obtain basic data for improving primal cut productivity. Methods: Data from 1,905 Hanwoo steers, including carcass traits and primal cut weights, were collected. Genetic parameters were estimated using REMLF90 in a multi-trait analysis. Results: High heritability was found for carcass weight (0.52) and strip loin yield (0.63). Genetic correlations between carcass weight and primal cut weights ranged from 0.52 to 0.93. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the significant potential for genetic improvement in Hanwoo cattle through selective breeding, particularly for traits with high heritability and genetic correlations. These findings provide crucial insights into optimizing breeding programs to improve Hanwoo cattle production efficiency.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.553-562
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• 2023

With an increase in meat consumption, the need to measure the weight of each primal cut of pork has increased. Recently, automation devices have been used to measure the weight of each primal cut of pork. The objective of this study was to investigate the accuracy of VCS2000, one of the non-invasive pig carcass analyzers. Production levels of 7 primal cuts of 50 pigs were measured with VCS2000. Average error rates between dissected value for each primal cut and VCS2000 measurement values of ham, shoulder picnic, belly, loin, and shoulder blade were around 5%. Average error rates for spare rib and tenderloin were about 10%. Correlation coefficients between the dissected value and the VCS2000 measured value for ham, shoulder picnic, loin, belly, and shoulder blade were high at 0.66-0.83. Correlation coefficients of spare rib and tenderloin were low at 0.35 and 0.47. Coefficient of determination of the VCS2000 measured value for each primal cut by regression analysis was 0.77 or more for ham, shoulder picnic, loin, and shoulder blade and 0.63 for belly. Coefficients of determination for spare rib and tenderloin were low at 0.40 and 0.27. In addition, the coefficient of determination of VCS2000 for each primal cut was higher than that of the dissected value for all primal cuts. In conclusion, pig carcass analysis using the VCS2000 has a high reliability for pork cuts with high production levels, but a relatively low reliability for pork cuts with low production levels and high fat levels.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.127-133
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• 2021

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the correlation between body size traits, carcass traits, and primal cuts in Hanwoo steers. Methods: Sixty-one beef carcasses were classified for conformation and primal cut weight. Additionally, carcass weight, fat thickness, carcass dimensions, and longissimus muscle area were determined to complement the grading. Results: The average live weight and cold carcass weight were 759 and 469 kg, respectively. The mean carcass meat, fat, and bone proportions were 551, 298, and 151 g/kg, respectively. Primal cuts weights showed significant positive correlations (p<0.001) of 0.42 to 0.82 with live weight, carcass weight, and longissimus muscle area and a significant negative correlation with carcass fat (without shank, -0.38 to -0.10). Primal cut weights were positively correlated (p<0.01) with carcass length (0.41 to 0.77), forequarter length (0.33 to 0.57), 6th lumbar vertebrae-heel length (0.33 to 0.59), 7th cervical vertebrae carcass breadth (0.35 to 0.58), 5th to 6th thoracic vertebrae breadth (0.36 to 0.65), 7th to 8th thoracic vertebrae girth (0.38 to 0.63), and coxae girth (0.34 to 0.56) and non-significantly related to cervical vertebrae length and coxae thickness. Conclusion: There was a high correlation among live weight, carcass weight, longissimus muscle area, carcass length, 7th cervical vertebrae carcass breadth, 5th to 6th thoracic vertebrae breadth, and 7th to 8th thoracic vertebrae girth of the primal cuts yield. The correlation between fat and primal cut yields was highly significant and negative. Carcass length and 7th to 8th thoracic vertebrae girth, appear to be the most important traits affecting primal cut yields.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.135-142
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• 2022

It is impossible to know the amount of pork primal cut by pig carcass grade which is determined only by carcass weight and backfat thickness in the Korean Pig Carcass System. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the pig carcass grade and the amount of pork primal cut estimated with AutoFom III. A total of 419,321 Landrace, Yorkshire, and Duroc (LYD) pigs were graded with the Korean Pig Carcass Grade System. Amounts of belly, neck, loin, tenderloin, spare ribs, shoulder, and ham were estimated with AutoFom III. Regression equations for seven primal cuts according to each grade were derived. There were significant differences among the three carcass grades due to heteroscedasticity variance (p < 0.0001). Three regression equations were derived from AutoFom III estimation of primal cuts according to carcass grades. The coefficient of determination of the regression equation was 0.941 for grade 1⁺, 0.982 for grade 1, and 0.993 for grade 2. Regression equations obtained from this study are suitable for AutoFom III software, a useful tool for the analysis of each pig carcass grade in the Korean Pig Carcass Grade System. The high reliability of predicting the amount of primal cut with AutoFom III is advantageous for the management of slaughterhouses to optimize their product sorting in Korea.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.373-380
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• 2013

The study aimed to develop prediction models of primal cut yield using body measurements of Hanwoo steers in Korea. The progeny of 874 steers at Hanwoo Improvement Main Center from 2008 to 2010 were recorded. Pearson's correlation coefficients for primal cuts and other traits were estimated. Primal cuts were adjusted for slaughter date and age using the SAS GLM procedure. Afterwards, a stepwise regression was performed on each primal cut by fitting body measurement traits. An independent covariable was selected at the highest coefficient of determination with the greater fitness model using Mallows's Cp statistic. Results showed that primal cuts were significantly influenced by slaughter date (P<0.01). The age at slaughter, however, was only significant for the top round (P<0.05). There was a moderate to high correlation between chest girth and tenderloin (0.54), loin (0.74), and rib (0.80). Most primal cut percentages were negatively related to BFT. Similar negative to low positive correlations were observed for primal cut percentage and body size traits. In addition, a correlation of 0.21 was observed between rib percentage and chest girth. The regression of body measurements on the adjusted primal cuts were significant for later traits. Regression estimates revealed that wither height, body length, rump length, hip bone width, and chest girth are important for primal cut weight and percentage determination. In particular, chest girth was always important for primal cut weight estimates.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.66 no.4
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• pp.834-845
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• 2024

Currently, in pork auctions in Korea, only carcass weight and backfat thickness provide information on meat quantity, while the production volume of primal cuts and fat contents remains largely unknown. This study aims to predict the production of primal cuts in pigs and investigate how these carcass traits affect pricing. Using the VCS2000, the production of shoulder blade, loin, belly, shoulder picnic, and ham was measured for gilts (17,257 pigs) and barrows (16,365 pigs) of LYD (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) pigs. Single and multiple regression analysis were conducted to analyze the relationship between the primal cuts and carcass weight. The study also examined the correlation between each primal cut, backfat thickness (1st thoracic vertebra backfat thickness, grading backfat thickness, and Multi-brached muscle middle backfat thickness), pork belly fat percentage, total fat yield, and auction price. A multiple regression analysis was conducted between the carcass traits that showed a high correlation and the auction price. After conducting a single regression analysis on the primal cuts of gilt and barrow, all coefficients of determination (R²) were 0.77 or higher. In the multiple regression analysis, the R² value was 0.98 or higher. The correlation coefficient between the carcass weights and the auction price exceeded 0.70, while the correlation coefficients between the primal cuts and the auction prices were above 0.65. In terms of fat content, the backfat thickness of gilt exhibited a correlation coefficient of 0.70, and all other items had a correlation coefficient of 0.47 or higher. The correlation coefficients between the Forequarter, Middle, and Hindquarter and the auction price were 0.62 or higher. The R² values of the multiple regression analysis between carcass traits and auction price were 0.5 or higher for gilts and 0.4 or higher for barrows. The regression equations between carcass weight and primal cuts derived in this study exhibited high determination coefficients, suggesting that they could serve as reliable means to predict primal cut production from pig carcasses. Elucidating the correlation between primal cuts, fat contents and auction prices can provide economic indicators for pork and assist in guiding the direction of pig farming.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.77-92
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the carcass characteristics and the primal cut yields from carcasses according to the sex of Hanwoo. Experimental animals comprised of 80 cows, 29 bulls, and 71 steers. After slaughtering, they were evaluated to estimate the productivity of carcass components by market weight, and to predict the beef carcass yield. The average of fasting weight of cow, bull and steer were 634.75 kg, 721.86 kg, and 754.10 kg respectively. Market weight of Hanwoo at cold carcass weight, primal lean cut weight, sub-primal lean cut weight, bone weight and fat weight were 381.01~467.60 kg, 240.79~310.36 kg, 208.27~276.47 kg, 57.23~76.28 kg and 89.19~138.97 kg respectively. Body measurement traits had side length, hindquarter length, cervical vertebrae length, lumbar vertebrae length, sacral vertebrae length, 6th lumbar vertebrae~heel length, 5~6th thoracic vertebrae breadth, 4~5th lumbar vertebrae breadth, 5th sacral vertebrae breadth, 7~8th thoracic vertebrae girth and 7~8th thoracic vertebrae thick were highest length in steer. Carcass weight (CW) were significantly (p<0.05) affected by sex and live weight. The lean meat percentage, fat percentage and bone percentage based on the weight of cold carcasses were significantly different (p<0.05) between sex groups. The primal cuts rate for deungsim, moksim, abdari, udun, suldo, yangjee and satae were higher in bulls than those of the caws and steers. The carcass by-product weight rate in steer had lower oxtail and rib cartilage than cow and bull, while cow showed lower beef leg bones and jappyeo than bull steer (p<0.05). Body measurement traits was always important for primal cut weight estimates.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.531-540
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• 2012

Pigs from four sire lines were allocated to a series of low energy (LE, 3.15 to 3.21 Mcal ME/kg) corn-soybean meal-based diets with 16% wheat midds or high energy diets (HE, 3.41 to 3.45 Mcal ME/kg) with 4.5 to 4.95% choice white grease. All diets contained 6% DDGS. The HE and LE diets of each of the four phases were formulated to have equal lysine:Mcal ME ratios. Barrows (N = 2,178) and gilts (N = 2,274) were fed either high energy (HE) or low energy (LE) diets from 27 kg BW to target BWs of 118, 127, 131.5 and 140.6 kg. Carcass primal and subprimal cut weights were collected. The cut weights and carcass measurements were fitted to allometric functions (Y = A $CW^B$) of carcass weight. The significance of diet, sex or sire line with A and B was evaluated by linearizing the equations by log to log transformation. The effect of diet on A and B did not interact with sex or sire line. Thus, the final model was cut weight = (1+$b_D$(Diet)) A($CW^B$) where Diet = -0.5 for the LE and 0.5 for HE diets and A and B are sire line-sex specific parameters. Diet had no affect on loin, Boston butt, picnic, baby back rib, or sparerib weights (p>0.10, $b_D$ = -0.003, -0.0029, 0.0002, 0.0047, -0.0025, respectively). Diet affected ham weight (bD = -0.0046, p = 0.01), belly weight (bD = 0.0188, p = 0.001) three-muscle ham weight ($b_D$ = -0.014, p = 0.001), boneless loin weight (bD = -0.010, p = 0.001), tenderloin weight ($b_D$ = -0.023, p = 0.001), sirloin weight ($b_D$ = -0.009, p = 0.034), and fat-free lean mass ($b_D$ = -0.0145, p = 0.001). Overall, feeding the LE diets had little impact on primal cut weight except to decrease belly weight. Feeding LE diets increased the weight of lean trimmed cuts by 1 to 2 percent at the same carcass weight.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.143-154
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• 2022

This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship among market weight, slaughter age, yield grade, and primal cut yield in Hanwoo. A total of 403 Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) was assessed for carcass traits such as carcass cold weight, backfat thickness, ribeye area, dressing percentage, yield index, and marbling score. The production yield of the individual major primal cuts of Hanwoo beef was also measured. Carcass cold weight, ribeye area, and backfat thickness, which affect meat quality increased with increased market weight (p < 0.05). The production yield of the ten major primal cuts also increased with increased market weight (p < 0.05). In terms of slaughter age, carcass cold weight, ribeye area, and backfat thickness all increased from 25 months to 28-29 months, and the production yield of all prime cuts also increased with increasing slaughter age. According to the meat yield grade, carcass cold weight and backfat thickness increased from grade A to grade C, although the ribeye area was not affected. The combined findings of the study suggest that slaughtering Hanwoo at the weight of 651-700 kg and 701-750 and age of 28.23 and 29.83 months could be desirable to achieve the best quality and quantity grade of Hanwoo beef. However, the positive correlation of carcass cold weight and backfat thickness, and the negative correlation of the yield index according to primal cuts yield indicated that it is necessary to couple the slaughtering management of cattle with improved genetic and breeding method of Hanwoo to increase the production yield of the major prime cuts of Hanwoo beef.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.1670-1676
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• 2018

Objective: This study was conducted to enable on-line prediction of primal and commercial cut weights in Korean slaughter pigs by AutoFom III, which non-invasively scans pig carcasses early after slaughter using ultrasonic sensors. Methods: A total of 162 Landrace, Yorkshire, and Duroc (LYD) pigs and 154 LYD pigs representing the yearly Korean slaughter distribution were included in the calibration and validation dataset, respectively. Partial least squares (PLS) models were developed for prediction of the weight of deboned shoulder blade, shoulder picnic, belly, loin, and ham. In addition, AutoFom III's ability to predict the weight of the commercial cuts of spare rib, jowl, false lean, back rib, diaphragm, and tenderloin was investigated. Each cut was manually prepared by local butchers and then recorded. Results: The cross-validated prediction accuracy ($R^2cv$) of the calibration models for deboned shoulder blade, shoulder picnic, loin, belly, and ham ranged from 0.77 to 0.86. The $R^2cv$ for tenderloin, spare rib, diaphragm, false lean, jowl, and back rib ranged from 0.34 to 0.62. Because the $R^2cv$ of the latter commercial cuts were less than 0.65, AutoFom III was less accurate for the prediction of those cuts. The root mean squares error of cross validation calibration (RMSECV) model was comparable to the root mean squares error of prediction (RMSEP), although the RMSECV was numerically higher than RMSEP for the deboned shoulder blade and belly. Conclusion: AutoFom III predicts the weight of deboned shoulder blade, shoulder picnic, loin, belly, and ham with high accuracy, and is a suitable process analytical tool for sorting pork primals in Korea. However, AutoFom III's prediction of smaller commercial Korean cuts is less accurate, which may be attributed to the lack of anatomical reference points and the lack of a good correlation between the scanned area of the carcass and those traits.