Professional paper

Variations in cascass meat quality traits of heavy pigs

Boris Lukić orcid.org/0000-0002-0528-5418 ; Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek, Trg sv. Trojstva3, Osijek
Goran Kušec ; Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek, Trg sv. Trojstva3, Osijek
Ivona Đurkin ; Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek, Trg sv. Trojstva3, Osijek
Davor Kekez ; Belje d.d., Industrijska zona 1, Darda
Zlata Maltar ; Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek, Trg sv. Trojstva3, Osijek
Žarko Radišić ; Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek, Trg sv. Trojstva3, Osijek

Abstract

This research was performed on 45 randomly chosen carcasses originating from double-crossed gilts (Large White and Swedish Lan-
drace). The gilts were housed in the same conditions and fed the same diet during the fattening period until the slaughter, when car-
cass and meat quality traits were measured. The samples for chemical analysis of the meat were also taken. The mean pH45and pH24
value measured in LD muscle of pig carcasses were 6.23 and 5.6, respectively, implying normal meat quality. The mean value of elec-
trical conductivity measured 45 minutes post mortem, EC45 was 4.38 mS/cm, indicating no deviation from normal quality of meat,
while mean EC24 value was 9.74 mS/cm which could be considered as relatively high. At the same time, mean CIE-L* value (52.43)
indicated to some extent paler than normal meat of the investigated pigs. Average drip loss (8.29 %) could also be considered as
higher than desirable. When the samples were divided into normal (n=37; 82.22%) and PSE (n=8; 17.78%) group on the basis of pH45
value, signicant dierences could be observed in LD muscle area indicating increased lean production in PSE group. Regarding the
meat quality traits, groups signicantly diered in pH45, EC45 and cooking loss, while there were no dierences in chemical composi-
tion. Both groups had undesirably high values of EC24, CIE-L* and drip loss, with no signicant dierences between the formed groups.
The F-test performed to analyze the inuence of warm carcass weight on carcass traits revealed positive eect on carcass length, ham
circumference and back fat area. In the present study, only pH24, EC24 and CIE-a* values were found to be inuenced by warm carcass
weight; the chemical composition of the meat samples was unaected by warm carcass weight. It was concluded that the common
positive perception about the meat quality of heavy pigs between the pig producers should be taken with caution.

Keywords

heavy pigs; carcass traits; meat quality traits

Hrčak ID:

61760

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/61760

Publication date:

1.1.2010.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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