SHAPE OF M-LONGISSIMUS-DORSI OF PIGS IN D EPENDENCE ON GENOTYPE, SEX,WEIGHT, LEAN MEAT CONTENT AND FIBER DIAMETER

The photographies of the m. longissimus dorsi of 160 investigated pig carcasses, cut between the second to third last rip, show different sh apes. These different muscle shapes are characterised by the ovality b ut also by the shape of the border. The genotype influences the shape traits of the muscle as well as the parameters of the meat quality. Se x does influence neither the ovality nor the meat quality, but shows a n influence on the major and the minor muscle diameter as well as on t he muscle area. The influence of the carcass weight, lean meat content and fiber diameter on the different shapes has also been investigated . All relationships are not very close. Pigs with higher weight, a hig her lean meat content as well as a greater fiber diameter show only te ndentiously a rounder m. longissimus dorsi. The minor diameter seems t o be more influenced than the major one. No practically usable relatio nships between meat quality and the shape parameters were found. The p roduct of the major and the minor diameter of the muscle (an area like parameter) shows relationships to the lean meat content comparable wi th those of the measured muscle area. By using this product of the two diameters it could be possible to replace the labour expensive direct measurement of muscle area by two simple length measurements.