An international study on the importance of androstenone and skatole for boar taint: I. Presentation of the programme and measurement of boar taint compounds with different analytical procedures

An international study, involving 11 participants in 7 European countries, was conducted to provide scientific evidence for an objective measurement o f boar taint in entire male pigs and its possible variation between countri es. The specific objectives were to determine the respective contributions of androstenone and skatole to boar taint and their possible variations acc ording to production systems and consumer populations. Over 4000 entire mal e pigs and 200 gilts were raised and slaughtered in 6 countries. Meat sampl es were taken from the loin and backfat samples were used for the rapid mea surement of androstenone and skatole. A sub-population of 377 entire males and 42 gilts was then selected in such a way as to represent all combinatio ns of skatole and androstenone levels. Androstenone and skatole levels in t he selected samples were checked, using established reference methods. Meat samples from the selected animals were used for sensory evaluation by trai ned panels and for consumer surveys in 7 European countries. The present pa per gives a general presentation of the programme and reports the main char acteristics of the samples. Three companion papers present the results of t he evaluation by trained sensory panels [Dijksterhuis, G., Engel, B., Walst ra, P., Font i Furnols, M., Agerhem, H., Fisher, K., Oliver, M. A., Claudi- Magnussen, C., Siret, F., Beague, M. P., Homer, D. B., & Bonneau, M. (2000) . An international study on the importance of androstenone and skatole for boar taint: II. Sensory evaluation by trained panels in seven European coun tries. Meat Science 54, 261-269], the results of the consumer surveys [Matt hews, K. R., Homer, D. B., Punter, P., Beague, M. P., Gispert, M., Kemspter , A. J., Agerhem, H., Claudi-Magnussen, C., Fischer, K., Siret, F., Leask, H., Font i Furnols, M., & Bonneau, M. (2000). An international study on the importance of androstenone and skatole for boar taint: III. Consumer surve y in seven European countries. Meat Science, 54, 271-283] and the main conc lusions and recommendations [Bonneau, M., Walstra, P., Claudi-Magnussen, C. , Kempster, A. J., Tornberg, E., Fischer, K., Diestre, A., Siret, F., Chevi llon, P., Claus, R., Dijksterhuis, G., Punter, P., Matthews, K. R., Agerhem , H., Beague, M. P., Oliver, M. A., Gispert, M., Weller, U., von Seth, G., Leask, H., Font i Furnols, M., Homer, D. B., & Cook, G. L. (2000). An inter national study on the importance of androstenone and skatole for boar taint : IV. Simulation studies on consumer dissatisfaction with entire male pork and the effect of sorting out carcasses on the slaughter line, main conclus ions and recommendations. Meat Science, 54, 285-295]. Seasonal effects and differences between countries in skatole and androstenone levels are presen ted elsewhere [Walstra, P., Claudi-Magnussen, C., Chevillon, P., von-Seth, G., Diestre, A., Matthews, K. R., Homer, D. B., & Bonneau, M. (in press). A n international study on the importance of androstenone and skatole for boa r taint: Levels of androstenone and skatole according to country and season . Livestork Production Science]. A supplementary paper considers the effect s of human sensitivity to androstenone and skatole on the consumer acceptan ce of entire male pork [Weiler, U., Font i Furnols, M., Fischer, K., Kemmer , H., Oliver, M. A., Gispert, M., Dobrowolski, A., Be Claus, R. (in press). Influence of differences in sensitivity of Spanish and German consumers to perceive androstenone on the acceptance of boar meat differing in skatole and androstenone concentrations. Meat Science]. A study of possible other c ompounds contributing to boar taint was also carried out within this progra mme. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.