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Evaluation of the Character and Incidence of PSE in a Herd of Southeastern-Grown Experimental Pigs

U. S. Department of Agriculture, Richard B. Russell Agricultural Research Center, U.S.D.A. Athens, Georgia 30604 and University of Georgia, Athens 30602

Abstract

Pork muscle quality was evaluated on carcasses from experimentally grown pigs in the Southeastern United States. Certain physical and chemical characteristics of the loin and ham muscles were related to ultimate muscle color and longissimus water holding capacity. Loin color score was related to Hunter L value and Hunter a/b ratio (r = .673 and r = –.624), respectively. Water-holding capacity was related to 45 min. pH value (r=–.368). Hunter L value and Hunter a/b ratio, both measures of color, and pH at 45 min. postmortem seem to be the most important easily measured objective characteristics appearing in the regression equations predicting visual ham and loin color. The lack of significant correlation of certain measured muscle characteristics with final pH as compared to the statistically significant correlations of various traits with pH of the longissimus at 45 min. postmortem, support the findings of other research that the rate of pH decline immediately postmortem is of considerable importance and probably could be used to identify carcasses which will tend to have low pork quality. Results of this study indicate that the character and occurrence of PSE characteristics in these southeastern-grown university herd pigs are similar to those found in research studies with pigs grown in the north central and midwestern regions. Within this study, about 11.8% of the loins and 13.6% of the hams showed severe pale, soft exudative muscle conditions.

¹ Meat Products and Processes Investigations, Animals Products Laboratory, R.R.C., A.R.S., U.S.D.A., Athens, Georgia.

² Department of Animal Science, University of Georgia.

³ Chief, Animal Products Laboratory, Russell Research Center.

⁴ Reference to a company or product name does not imply approval or recommendation of the product by the U. S. Department of Agriculture to the exclusion of others that may be suitable.

⁵ The authors acknowledge the advice of Victor Chew in the statistical analyses; and D. P. Helmreich and E. W. Gross for technical laboratory assistance.