Fuente: WIPO "meat" A penetrometer for measuring the tissue thickness above a bone of a carcass is typically provided in the form of a pistol-like body 11. A thin blade 27 having a sharpened vertical front edge 25 is mounted to a fixed support 28 received with body 11. A movable sleeve 37 surrounds blade 27. Sleeve 37 can move from the position shown where its end is level with the leading edge of blade 27 to a position in which its end is level with the front 21 of body 11. The penetrometer may include a locating probe 47. Thus for example to measure the tissue thickness at a rib bone, probe 47 is inserted between two ribs so that blade 27 is over a rib. The penetrometer is then pushed to cause blade 27 to enter the tissue and sleeve 37 to retreat until the blade strikes the rib bone. The retraction of sleeve 37 is then measured for example by means of a linear displacement transducer with the corresponding tissue thickness being displayed on a screen.