HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Seideman, S. C. Articles by Mersmann, H. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Seideman, S. C. Articles by Mersmann, H. J.

Carcass, Muscle and Meat Characteristics of Lean and Obese Pigs¹

U.S. Department of Agriculture^3,4, Clay Center, NE 68933

Abstract

Six pigs obtained from a lean selected strain and six pigs obtained from an obese selected strain were slaughtered at about 110 kg live-animal weight. Carcasses were evaluated; hams were dissected into bone, skin, fat and lean, and loin samples were obtained for fiber type characteristics, percentage of fat and moisture, collagen analysis, sensory characteristics, textural properties and objective color analysis. Carcasses from lean pigs were longer, had less backfat and larger longissimus muscle cross-sectional areas than carcasses obtained from obese pigs. Hams from lean pigs had less fat, more bone and more lean than hams from carcasses of obese pigs. The percentages and cross-sectional areas of red and white muscle fibers of the longissimus muscle from lean and obese pigs were not different. However, lean pigs had intermediate fibers that were only 79% as large (P < .10) as intermediate muscle fibers from obese pigs. Intermediate fibers represented only 7 and 10% of total fiber area, whereas white fibers represented 84 and 79% of total fiber area in longissimus muscle of lean and obese pigs, respectively. Overall, lean pigs tended to possess fewer fibers (–16%) per unit of area than obese pigs, indicating that total muscle fiber hypertrophy was partially responsible for the increased longissimus muscle area of the lean strain. Sensory properties of longissimus meat samples from lean and obese strains were not different. However, the shear force requirement of the longissimus samples from the lean strain were slightly, but significandy (P < .10), higher than those from the obese strain. No differences were observed in meat color.

¹ We thank L. K. Theer and staff for sensory and textural evaluations, L. K. Theer for statistical analysis, C. C. Grummert, M. M. Bierman and J. R. Watts for secretarial assistance.

² Current address: Bryan Foods, P.O. Box 1177, West Point, MS 39773.

³ ARS, Roman L. Hruska Meat Anim. Res. Center.

⁴ Mention of a trade name, proprietary products or specific equipment does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the USDA and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products that may also be suitable.