Growth rate and meat quality
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Background
The end product of pig production is pig meat. Producing meat which is highly desirable to the consumer should therefore be the aim of every pig producer, hence understanding the factors which affect meat quality is essential to the success of the British pig industry.
The current basis for payment in the UK depends upon carcase weight and P2 fatness, therefore the producer tries to get as many top grading pigs, within these criteria, to market as possible. The British consumer, however, has a different set of criteria - buying pig meat on the basis of anticipated taste ie tenderness, juiciness and flavour. Common consumer complaints about British pork relate to taint, toughness and dryness. Consumers who have had a bad experience with pork may be reluctant to buy it again; therefore it is important for us to understand which on-farm factors contribute to pork quality. Predictable high quality pork products can command a price premium with knock on effects to all members of the pig production chain, therefore we need to know how we can consistently produce this product.
Variability in the pig herd is one of the most challenging aspects of modern pig production. Therefore, although producers aim to market their pigs at similar weight and fatness, it will take individual animals different amounts of time to reach slaughter weight due to variations in growth rate and initial size. The most extreme animals in this regard will be those which have suffered from a profound growth check during rearing as a result of serious illness. Existing work shows that tenderness, the most important aspect of meat quality in pork, can be affected by growth rate, with more rapid growth tending to increase tenderness and slower growth reducing it; possibly uneven, spasmodic growth rates are the most damaging of all.
The study
This study is investigating how variability in growth rate from birth to slaughter affects carcase measurements and final eating quality and whether these effects are the same for boars and gilts. Growth up to two different slaughter weights (90 and 110 kg) is being studied. In addition, the effects of severe growth checks due to illness are being investigated for both sexes. This experiment will address industry concerns that increasing carcase weights combined with the use of boars may result in a higher incidence of boar taint.
How closely then do the criteria on which pigs are bought from the producer match up with consumer expectations? In this experiment carcases are being assessed according to current payment criteria, as well the most important meat quality parameters ie muscle pH and water holding capacity, boar taint compounds and eating quality as assessed by a taste panel. Carcases will also be evaluated by Autofom.
Objectives
- To
determine the effects of variations in growth rate and sex on meat and carcase quality
- To determine the effects of a growth check brought about by serious illness, and sex on meat and carcase quality
- To establish whether weight at slaughter affects meat quality
- To determine the appropriateness of current carcase targets in meeting consumer requirements
Latest news
Pigs are being identified and growth from weaning to slaughter recorded on an ongoing basis. This will continue until the target number of samples has been met. With the exception of pigs exhibiting a severe growth check due to poor health, the majority of animals on this trial have been slaughtered and evaluated by Autofom. Loins have been sent to the Pork Chain Unit at Bristol for meat quality analysis.
Delays in collecting data from health challenged pigs were an inevitable and expected problem. However, the very high mortality rate among identified sick pigs has delayed completion of this study more than anticipated.