The influence of carcass backfat and intramuscular fat level on pork eating quality

To evaluate the contribution of fatness level towards pork eating quality, carcass and meat eating quality data were analysed from 721 pigs of three g enotypes (with 0, 0.25 and 0.50 Duroc inclusion level). Animals (entire mal e and female) were reared from 30 to 90 kg Liveweight on one of seven feedi ng regimens which involved combinations of diet formulation and feeding lev el, so as to produce carcasses of widely differing fatness levels. This exp erimental design produced coefficients of variation for classification Pt b ackfat thickness of 21.11 (mean 11.59 mm, SE 0.093) and intramuscular fat ( IMF) of 63.60 (mean 13.4 g kg(-1), SE 0.33). The treatments also produced c onsiderable variation for eating quality as assessed by trained sensory pan el (1-8 scale) and objectively (shear force) as shown by the following coef ficients of variation: shear force 22.01% (mean 334N, SE 2.77), juiciness 1 6.12% (mean 4.95, SE 0.297), tenderness 19.65% (mean 5.06, SE 0.370), pork flavour 13.22% (mean 4.56, SE 0.225), abnormal flavour 34.46% (mean 2.02, S E 0.259) and overall acceptability 18.42% (mean 4.78, SE 0.328). Correlatio n coefficients between carcass fatness measurements and eating quality char acteristics were calculated. Although shear force was significantly correla ted with both classification P-2(r = -0.213) and IMF (r = -0.189), taste pa nel tenderness was not significantly correlated to fatness level. Of the ta ste panel parameters evaluated, only juiciness showed a significant correla tion (P < 0.05) with classification P-2(r = -0.086). None of the eating qua lity characteristics as evaluated by taste panel correlated significantly w ith IMF. These results do not support the belief that fatness level per se has a major influence on pork eating quality. (C) 2000 Society of Chemical Industry.