Determinação da área de olho de lombo de ovinos por diferentes métodos

Abstract

The ribeye area (REA) is related to carcass composition, yield and muscularity, being an important measure in carcass classification. There are several methods for determining REA that differ in the materials used and the choice of method to be used must take into account its practicality, cost and applicability. The objectives with this study were to evaluate the REA of 24 drawings containing the outline of the Longissimus dorsi muscle of the sheep carcass, by three different methods: Method 1. paper weight, Method 2. Grid square and Method 3. Formula. The results obtained were evaluated through descriptive analysis, using the statistical program R 3.4.2. It was observed that the paper weight and grid methods obtained very similar values, and that the formula method had a higher mean value that the other methods, and care should be taken with the use of this method, as it generated higher values in 0.70 and 0,74 cm² compared to the weight of the paper and the grid, respectively. Comparing the applicability of the tested methods, the gridded grid method was the most practical and the easiest to apply. Regarding cost, the grid and formula methods were the least expensive, as they do not require specific equipment, as in the paper, which requires an analytical scale for weighing the paper and can make the analysis infeasible. It was concluded that the determination of REA by grid and paper weight methods generate similar results, however, the grid method is more practical, cheaper and easier to apply. The formula method produces superior results than the grid and paper weight.