AUTOMATIC VERTICAL SCANNER FOR DETERMING LEAN DISTRIBUTION IN ANIMAL CARCASSES (AVSCAN)

Project Information

GM-SCAN

Grant agreement ID: 673724

DOI

10.3030/673724

Project closed

EC signature date 8 May 2015

Start date 1 January 2015

End date 30 June 2015

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

G & M STEEL FABRICATORS LIMITED
Ireland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - GM-SCAN (AUTOMATIC VERTICAL SCANNER FOR DETERMING LEAN DISTRIBUTION IN ANIMAL CARCASSES (AVSCAN))

Reporting period: 2015-01-01 to 2015-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The objective of GM-SCAN project is to establish the commercial feasibility of a new technology for the automatic pig carcass classification and primal cut sorting (ham, loin, belly and shoulder). GM-SCAN technology has been already demonstrated at pig slaughterhouses (TRL=7) but the technology needs to be further developed to reach the commercial stage. Alternatively, we have made a technical feasibility study to evalaute the possibility to adapt the technology for the determination lean meat percentage in beef carcasses.
GM-SCAN will address this market by providing pig slaughterhouses with an automatic classification and primal cut sorting machine that will offer a number of competitive advantadge including: Fast ROI, accurate prediction of primal cuts, cinluding the belly, prediction algortihms not affected animal breed, and easy to integrate.
Thorugh this “Phase I” project, we have assessed the feasibility of GM-Scan by: 1) Developing a business plan, and 2) carrying out a technical feasibility study in collaboration with a beef slaughterhouse.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

• On the topic of GM-SCAN project, we have performed the following work:
• Market survey to pig slaughterhouses and meat research institutes to identify potential markets as well as requirements for the GM-SCAN technology.
• Praparation of a business plan including strategic, marketing and financial aspects related to the commercial exploitation of GM-SCAN technology.
• A technical feasability study based on a set of trials carries out at a beef slaughterhouse. As a main outcome of this work: 1) We will focus on EU pig slaughterhouses and 2) We have confirmed the economic and technical feasability of the project.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

We expect to complete the development of the GM-SCAN technology to bring it into a commercial stage. Pig slaughterhouses willl benefit from a technology that will provide accurate pig carcass classification and primal cut sorting for a more efficient use of the raw meat and to optimise the slaughtering process. GM-SCAN will contribute to the continued growth of the European pigmeat sector by improving product quality, and by extension, consumer appeal and satisfaction. GM-SCAN will provide better working conditions by automatic classification of the carcasses. GM-SCAN will also contribute to improve employment from making slaughterhouses and meat processing and packing plants companies more competitive and efficient.

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