Beef carcase quality in Romania (2006-2011)

Total meat production is an important technical and economical indicator. It is assessed in every production unit and is expressed as the live weight of animals to be slaughtered or as the amount of meat in a carcass. In 2010, the share of young bulls slaughtered was 20.90% of the total bovines slaughtered in authorised slaughterhouses, i.e. 7.0% lower than in 2007. The largest share was that of cows, which points to export activities of live young bulls. The information are collected for bulletins of the Romanian Patronage of Meat and the Carcass Grading Commission. We can see that the quality of bovine carcases slaughtered during the period analysed does not range within the upper limits of the EUROP objective evaluation system, which asks for the introduction of new subdivisions because of the lack of animals that match the categories “Excellent”, “Very good” and “Good” after conformation. To improve the quality of carcases, we need to improve the genetic material, to reduce uncontrolled exports of live animals and to develop a market for the purchase of live animals to be slaughtered in authorised slaughterhouses