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Early Rigor Detection in Pork Carcasses by Foreleg Position

United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Richard B. Russell Agricultural Research Center, Athens, Georgia 30604 and and University of Georgia, Athens 30602

Abstract

We studied 109 carcasses of Yorkshire swine to determine the relationship between foreleg position on an intact pork carcass and certain physiological measurements of muscle at 45 min postmortem and ultimate muscle quality.

Side-view photographs were taken of the carcasses while they hung on the slaughter line just prior to head removal. Foreleg angle was determined from the photographs by measuring the angle formed by the foreleg of the unsplit carcass to a perpendicular line from the gam-brel-tendon support of the hind leg to the corner of the animal's mouth.

Foreleg angle was significantly (P<.01) correlated with ham and loin 45 min pH, r=.37 and r=.43, respectively. Foreleg angle showed a slightly higher correlation with percent transmission (r=.41; P<.01) than did rigorometer value (r=.33; P<.01). Carcasses having transmission values in the longissimus muscle greater than 70% had a mean foreleg angle of 101.8°. Carcasses having rigorometer values greater than 10 had a mean foreleg angle of 105.1°. Results of this study suggest that foreleg position is related to early rigor development and could be used to segregate carcasses according to different stages of early postmortem rigor development. Pictorial standards are presented which could be used to visually classify carcasses on the slaughter line as follows: Class I = presence of Rigor, <110°, Class II — Intermediate Rigor,111° to 120°; Class III — Absence of Rigor, <121°.

¹ Product Development Research, Animal Products Research Laboratory, RRC, ARS, USDA, Athens, GA.

² Department of Animal Science, University of Georgia, Athens.

³ The authors acknowledge Ruel Wilson in the statistical analysis, and Robert E. Foster and Mark E. Meaders for technical laboratory assistance.

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