Journal of Animal Science, Vol 74, Issue 1 5-12, Copyright © 1996 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Subprimal purchasing and merchandising decisions for pork: relationship to retail yield and fabrication time

C. L. Lorenzen, D. B. Griffin, T. R. Dockerty, J. P. Walter, H. K. Johnson and J. W. Savell
Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-2471, USA.

Boxed pork was obtained to represent four different purchase specifications (different anatomical separation locations and[or] external fat trim levels) common in the pork industry to conduct a study of retail yields and labor requirements. Bone-in loins (n = 180), boneless loins (n = 94), and Boston butts (n = 148) were assigned randomly to fabrication styles within subprimals. When comparing cutting styles within subprimals, it was evident that cutting style affected percentage of retail yield and cutting time. When more bone-in cuts were prepared from bone-in loin subprimals, retail yields ranged from 92.80 +/- .61 to 95.28 +/- .45%, and processing times ranged from 222.57 +/- 10.13 to 318.99 +/- 7.85 s, from the four suppliers. When more boneless cuts were prepared from bone-in loin subprimals, retail yields ranged from 71.12 +/- 1.10 to 77.92 +/- .77% and processing times ranged from 453.49 +/- 8.95 to 631.09 +/- 15.04 s from the different loins. Comparing boneless to bone-in cuts from bone-in loins resulted in lower yields and required greater processing times. Significant variations in yields and times were found within cutting styles. These differences seemed to have been the result of variation in supplier fat trim level and anatomical separation (primarily scribe length).

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				D. R. McKenna, D. B. Griffin, H. K. Johnson, B. R. Covington, and J. W. Savell Retail yields from beef chuck and round subprimals from two grade groups when merchandised as single muscle cuts J Anim Sci, June 1, 2003; 81(6): 1482 - 1487. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]