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Relationships among Spinal Cord Severing, Electrical Stimulation and Postmortem Quality Characteristics of the Porcine Carcass

Cornell University², Ithaca, NY 14853

Abstract

Thirty-two Yorkshire hogs of approximately 95 kg live weight were assigned to one of four treatment groups, either normal slaughter, spinal cord severed after exsanguination, electrical stimulation of whole intact hog after exsanguination, or electrical stimulation of right side of eviscerated and split carcass with left side having no stimulation. Longissimus muscle quality was measured by 24-hr postmortem pH, visual color score, Gardner color measurements with white and red standards, expressible juice ratio, Warner-Bratzler shear force, sarcomere length (laser and microscope) and fiber diameter. Differences between carcass sides or among treatments were not significant. Gardner color measurements from white and red standards were highly related to visual color score. Color readings and expressible juice ratio were correlated with tenderness and sarcomere length. Sarcomere length as determined by laser was highly correlated with microscope values, and accounted for 10% more of the variability in shear force than microscope readings.

¹ Present address: Kroger Co., Hazelwood, MO.

² College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Animal Science.