Processing characteristics and meld of pork frankfurters manufactured fromgilts administered exogenous porcine somatotropin

Eighteen gilts (75 kg) were injected daily with 0, 2.5, or 5 mg of porcine somatotropin (pST) for either 30 or 31 days prior to slaughter to examine t he effects of dose of pST administration to swine on processing characteris tics of frankfurters manufactured from pork. Frankfurters were manufactured from New York shoulders (NAMP #404) and formulated with fat from the same carcass to a final product target of 22% fat and 10% added water. Frankfurt ers from pST-treated gilts had lower smokehouse yields (0.9% decrease, P < .005) and greater shear force peak height (35.4% increase, P < 0.05) compar ed with the controls. The increased shear force required for skin failure o f frankfurters manufactured fi om pork from pST-treated pigs was not readil y explained by other differences due to treatment (e.g., cooking stability, batter proximate composition or salt soluble protein content, all P > 0.05 ).