Glycolytic potential of red, soft, exudative pork longissimus muscle

Red, soft, exudative (RSE) pork is red as "normal" pork and exudative as PS E pork. The origin of RSE quality is unknown. In the present study, we dete rmined whether the occurrence of RSE pork is related to the presence of the RN (Rendement Napole) gene. A glycolytic potential [= 2 x (glucose + glyco gen + glucose-6-phosphate) + lactate] of > 180 mu mol lactate/ g of meat wa s used as indicator for presence of the RN gene. At 1 d postmortem, pork lo in samples were collected at a commercial slaughter plant, and meat quality characteristics and glycolytic potential were determined. Glycolytic poten tial of RSE pork (n = 42) was higher (P < .01) than that of RFN (red, firm, nonexudative) pork (n = 25): 137 vs 110 mu mol lactate/g of muscle. The gl ycolytic potential of PSE pork (n = 28) was 161 mu mol lactate/g of muscle, which was higher (P < .01) than the glycolytic potential of RFN or RSE por k. Using a glycolytic potential of 180 mu mol lactate/g of muscle as sugges tive for the presence of the RN gene, four (10%) of the RSE samples were fr om RN carriers. By the same criterion, the PSE group contained nine (32%) R N gene carriers. These results suggest that the occurrence of RSE quality i s not related to the presence of the RN gene.