THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EXAMINING EARLY POSTMORTEM MUSCULATURE TO PREDICT ULTIMATE PORK QUALITY

Variations in pork quality reflect value differentials. However, only when they can be easily, accurately, rapidly and cost-effectively dete cted, can swine producers expect to eliminate poor quality from their herds through genetic selection, and can the industry be expected to t ake the necessary environmental precautions to prevent poor quality. T his study was designed to assess the effectiveness of various techniqu es thought to predict ultimate pork quality through the examination of the physical and chemical properties of early post-mortem (PM) muscul ature. Based on stiffness and pH 30, 285 carcasses were selected. This selection procedure ensured a wide variation in ultimate quality. Usi ng 12 instruments simultaneously, temperature, stiffness, electrical p roperties, lightness properties, and pH 45 of the early PM longissimus thoracis et lumborum were recorded to predict ultimate quality. Based on post-rigor light reflection and water-holding capacity (WHC), qual ity was assigned to one of five arbitrary groups. Of all techniques te sted, the only one with any potential for adequate prediction of quali ty categories was pH 45. Combination of different techniques did not s ignificantly increase predictive values. For predicting quality of sin gle carcasses, pH 45 should not be considered satisfactory. However, b ased on our success in selecting carcasses representing quality variat ion for this study and the results obtained from the study, using pH 4 5 and muscle stiffness to select groups of carcasses is feasible. We c onclude that the techniques used early post mortem are not appropriate for predicting ultimate pork quality for single carcasses. At present we recommend that only post-rigor muscle be considered, and that ulti mate pH, light reflection and a measure of WHC should be used