One of the major problems of meat industry  – and more particularly of the cured ham industry – is the large variability of the raw material. As a result, there is a significant production waste and consumers have sold ham of very different qualities.

Furthermore, numerous studies have demonstrated the influence of some animal characteristics on the final product quality and some specific indicators have been identified. The automatic in-line measure of such parameters is a main objective for meat transformation industry in order to adapt meat process to input raw material quality.

This objective has been pursued in a series of four projects from 2003 to 2009 which addressed several issues from quality indicator identification to automatic in-line measurements.

The definition of parameters that can be measured without contact with the raw meat has been a key drive for the research which lead to the adoption of Computer Vision technology for parameter measurement.

A consolidated research group with a renowned academic and industrial profile.

• algoWatt SpA (IT)
• CRPA – Research Centre for Animal Productions (IT)
• ITALCARNI SpA (IT)
• Istituto Sperimentale per la Zootecnia, Sede di Modena (IT)
• University of Bologna, – DIMORFIPA – Department of Veterinary and Animal Production Morphophysiology – DIMORFIPA (IT)
• Prosciuttificio SAN MICHELE C. s.r.l. (IT)
• Levoni SpA (IT)
• Stazione Sperimentale per l’Industria delle Conserve Alimentari in Parma (IT)
• Technology and Science for Growth S.r.l. (IT)
• ITALCARNI Società Cooperativa Agricola (IT)
• Sassi F.lli S.p.A. (IT)
• Università degli Studi di Sassari (IT)