The effect of vitamin-mineral, nutritional modulation on the pork quality of halothane carriers

Effects of vitamin/mineral nutritional modulation, preslaughter stress, and hot-fat trimming (HFT) on traits of 60 market hogs carrying one mutated co py of the halothane gene were determined. Both supplemented treatments resu lted in more backfat over the longissimus muscle (P < 0.05) and darker Hunt er L* values for the semimembranosus muscle (P < 0.05). Purge from the vacu um-packaged loin sections during 7 days of storage at 2C was reduced. Suppl emented treatments had lower Hunter L* readings for the semimembranosus mus cle (P < 0.05). Treatments did not affect muscle palatability. Shelf-life, water holding capacity and color of muscle was improved in chops from suppl emented pigs (P < 0.05). HFT and transporting pigs for an additional 2 h di d not affect meat quality. This study demonstrated advantages for improving pork muscle quality from pigs fed the vitamin/mineral supplement for at le ast 4 weeks before slaughter of market pigs monomutant for the halothane ge ne.