Sheep carcase classification in Scotland

How to classify sheep carcases

Slaughterhouses must make sure that carcases of sheep aged less than 12 months are classified on their conformation and fat cover.

For each carcase classified, slaughterhouses must:

• categorise, present (dress and hang), weigh and classify its conformation and fat cover
• keep full records of it
• label it
• communicate the classification results to its supplier
• report the price to the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB)

Only a licenced classifier can classify sheep carcases.

Present the carcase

You must present each carcase of sheep aged less than 12 months for classification by hanging from hooks or gambrels and preparing it in line with either:

• reference specification
• UK standard specification

You must not use a custom or tailored ‘company’ dressing specification.

Reference specification

This is the presentation of the carcase after removing the:

• head - severed at the atlanto-occipital joint
• feet - severed at the carpometacarpal or tarsometatarsal joints
• tail - severed between the sixth and seventh caudal vertebrae
• udder
• genitalia
• liver
• pluck

UK standard specification

This is the presentation of the carcase after removing the parts for reference specification above, plus removing the:

• kidney knobs
• channel fat
• diaphragm

Examples of dressing requirements

You can see images of dressing requirements on gov.uk. Beyond that, only refer to guidance on these gov.scot pages as there are some differences between Scottish regulations and regulations in the rest of the UK.

Categorise the carcase

You must identify whether carcases of sheep aged less than 12 months are new season lamb (NS) or old season lamb (OS).

Category	Description
NS	New Season Lamb - a sheep aged less than 12 months which is assessed by a licenced classifier to be from the lamb crop born January to September in the current calendar year or born October to December in the previous calendar year.
OS	Old Season Lamb - a sheep aged less than 12 months which is not a new season lamb.

Classify the carcase

You must classify carcases of sheep aged less than 12 months by their:

• conformation (flesh coverage and overall shape)
• fat coverage

Classification must be carried out at the time that you measure the warm weight of the carcase. This must be within 60 minutes of slaughter.

When describing a carcase, you should always give the conformation class before the fat class. For example, where a carcase is of conformation class R and a fat class of 4L, it would be recorded as R4L.

Conformation

You must use the (S)EUROP Grid classification scale to assess the conformation of carcases of sheep aged less than 12 months. This involves assessing the overall shape and flesh coverage of the carcase.

Each of the conformation classes can be broken down into 3 optional subclasses of:

• Low (-)
• Medium (=)
• High (+)

To be given an S or E classification, the carcase must have excellent conformation with no defects of its essential parts (hind quarter, back and shoulder).

For U, R, O and P classification, a carcase with 3 essential parts of differing quality will be in the class that applies to 2 of the 3 parts.

S – Superior

Hindquarter: double muscled. Profiles extremely convex.

Back: extremely convex, extremely wide, extremely thick.

Shoulder: extremely convex and extremely thick.

E – Excellent

Hindquarter: very thick. Profiles very convex.

Back: very convex, very wide and very thick to the shoulder.

Shoulder: very convex and very thick.

U – Very good

Hindquarter: thick. Profiles convex.

Back: wide and thick to the shoulder.

Shoulder: thick and convex.

R – Good

Hindquarter: profiles mainly straight.

Back: thick, but less wide to the shoulder.

Shoulder: good development, but less thick.

O – Fair

Hindquarter: profiles tending to slightly concave.

Back: lacking width and thickness.

Shoulder: tending to narrow. Lacking thickness.

P – Poor

Hindquarter: profiles concave to very concave.

Back: narrow and concave, with bones apparent.

Shoulder: narrow, flat and bones apparent.

Related information: 

• You can see images of dressing requirements on gov.uk. Beyond that, only refer to guidance on these gov.scot pages as there are some differences between Scottish regulations and regulations in the rest of the UK.
• Community scale for the classification of carcases of ovine animals on the European Union website.

Fat coverage

You need to use the below 5-class classification scale to assess fat cover on carcases of sheep aged less than 12 months. This involves making a visual assessment of the carcase’s external fat development. The 5 classes range from 1 (low) to 5 (very high).

Each of the fat classes can be broken down into 3 optional subclasses of:

• Low (-)
• Medium (=)
• High (+)

If the above optional subclasses are not used for fat classes ‘3 Average’ and ‘4 High’, you may provide a subclass of Low (L) or High (H).

1 – Low

External: Traces of, or no, fat visible.

Internal (abdominal): Traces of, or no, fat visible on kidneys.

Internal (thoracic): Traces of, or no, fat visible between ribs.

2 – Slight

External: A slight layer of fat covers part of the carcase but may be less evident on the limbs.

Internal (abdominal): Traces of fat, or slight layer of fat envelops part of the kidneys.

Internal (thoracic): Muscle clearly visible between ribs.

3 – Average

External: A light layer of fat covering most, or all, of the carcase. Slightly thickened fat zones at the base of the tail.

Internal (abdominal): Light layer of fat envelops part, or all, of the kidneys.

Internal (thoracic): Muscle still visible between ribs.

4 – High

External: A thick layer of fat covering most, or all, of the carcase; but may be thinner on limbs and thickening on shoulders.

Internal (abdominal): Kidney is enveloped in fat.

Internal (thoracic): Muscle between ribs may be infiltrated with fat. Fat deposits may be visible on the ribs.

5 – Very high

External: Very thick fat cover. Patches of fat sometimes visible.

Internal (abdominal): Kidneys enveloped in thick layer of fat.

Internal (thoracic): Muscle between ribs infiltrated with fat. Fat deposits visible on ribs.

Related information: 

• You can see images of dressing requirements on gov.uk. Beyond that, only refer to guidance on these gov.scot pages as there are some differences between Scottish regulations and regulations in the rest of the UK.
• Community scale for the classification of carcases of ovine animals on the European Union website.

Weigh the carcase

You must determine the cold weight of each carcase that is classified in your slaughterhouse. To determine the cold weight:

1. weigh the carcase to the nearest 100 grams as soon as possible, and within 60 minutes of slaughter. This is the warm weight.
2. calculate 2% of the warm weight and round this to one decimal point. Round down for 0.04 and below. Round up for 0.05 and above. This is the cold weight rebate.
3. deduct the cold weight rebate from the warm weight. This is the cold weight.

Example

Warm weight of lamb at the scale = 18.3kg

Cold weight rebate = 18.3 × 2% = 0.366. Rounded up to one decimal place = 0.4kg

Cold weight of lamb = 18.3 - 0.4 = 17.9kg

Label the carcase

You must label each carcase which has been classified with the mandatory classification details. This must be done at the time of classification.

A classification label can only be changed by the person who originally classified the carcase. They must do this by clearly marking the label.

How to use labels

The label must show:

• the kill number
• the date of slaughter
• the approval number of the slaughterhouse
• the conformation class including subdivisions, if applicable
• the fat cover including subdivisions, if applicable
• the cold weight of the carcase
• if the classification was carried out visually or by automated classification

Labels must be:

• clearly legible
• tamper-proof
• firmly attached to each carcase

Communicate the classification results

You must tell whoever has sent the animal to slaughter the results of the classification in writing. The format you use could be an invoice or attached document.

You must tell them:

• the date of slaughter
• the kill number
• which dressing specification you used
• the cold weight of the carcase
• the conformation class including subdivisions, if applicable
• the fat cover including subdivisions, if applicable

If you cannot tell the person who supplied the animal, you should still ensure that the records of the above information are retained.

Slaughterhouse operators must keep full records of classification details for at least 12 months from the end of the calendar year that the carcase was classified in.