The influence of breed, gender, and PSS (Halothane) genotype on meat quality, cooking loss, and palatability of pork

A total 851 swine of four breeds (Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace, and Yorkshire ), three genders (barrows, gilts, and boars) and two PSS (halothane) genoty pes (carriers and non-carriers of the halothane gene) were evaluated for me at quality, cooking, and palatability traits. Breed exerted a major influen ce on meat quality, cooking, and palatability traits. The most palatable me at was produced by Hampshires and the least desirable meat was produced by Yorkshires. Although juiciness was negatively correlated with cooking loss (r = -0.60), meat from Hampshires received the highest ratings for juicines s, despite sustaining the greatest cooking losses. Gender exerted minor inf luences on meat quality and palatability attributes, and no indication was obtained genders differed sufficiently in palatability to warrant discrimin ation based upon gender. Therefore, entire males can be utilized to capital ize on reported production advantages without influencing palatability, par ticularly if adequate means for screening boar taint are available for carc asses from heavier or more mature animals. Halothane genotype exerted subst antial influence on meat quality traits and statistically significant but r elatively minor influence on palatability traits. Carriers of the halothane gene produced meat which was of clearly inferior quality to the meat produ ced by non-carriers. Carriers of the halothane gene consistently produced a higher proportion of unacceptable chops than non-carriers, although differ ences were not statistically significant. (C) 1999 Canadian Institute of Fo od Science and Technology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights re served.