Characterizing Ham and Loin Quality as Hot Carcass Weight Increases to an Average of 119 Kilograms

Abstract

The objective was to characterize ham and loin quality of carcasses ranging from 78 to 145 kg (average ∼119 kg). Hot carcass weight (HCW), back fat depth, and loin depth was measured on 666 carcasses. Loin pH, instrumental and visual color and iodine value of clear plate fat (all 3 layers) was measured on approximately 90% of the population. Quality measurements of the ham, 14 d aged loin and chop, and loin chop shear force (SSF) were evaluated on approximately 30% of the population. Myosin heavy chain fiber type determination was completed on 49 carcasses. Slopes of regression lines and coefficients of determination between HCW and quality traits were calculated using the REG procedure in SAS and considered significantly different from 0 at P ≤ 0.05. As HCW increased, loin depth (b1 = 0.2496, P < 0.0001), back fat depth (b1 = 0.1374, P < 0.0001), loin weight (b1 = 0.0345, P < 0.0001), and ham weight (b1 = 0.1044, P < 0.0001) increased. Estimated lean (b1 = –0.0751, P < 0.0001) and iodine value (b1 = –0.0922, P < 0.0001) decreased as HCW increased, where HCW accounted for 24% (R2 = 0.24) of the variation in estimated lean and 7% (R2 = 0.07) of the variation in iodine value. However, HCW did not explain variation in ham quality traits (P > 0.15) and did not explain more than 1% (R2 ≤ 0.01) of the variation in 1 d loin color or pH. Loins from heavier carcasses were more tender (decreased SSF; b1 = –0.0674, P < 0.0001), although HCW only explained 9% of the variation in SSF. Hot carcass weight did not alter (P > 0.22) muscle fiber type percentage or area. These results suggest that increasing HCW to an average of 119 kg did not compromise pork quality.

The relationship of pork carcass weight and leanness parameters in the Ontario commercial pork industry

“…Moreover, it is important to note that carcass composition traits are typically less affected by environmental variations when compared with other heritable traits like reproduction and growth performance ( Akanno et al, 2013 ). These data along with other recent heavy weight pork carcass data (notably Price et al, 2019 ) indicate that the relationships between carcass weight and leanness parameters are highly variable at all weights of pigs, and that allometric growth (and composition) is likely not being significantly altered in heavier pigs.…”

“…Once pigs have reached homeostasis and energy is no longer required for skeletal and muscle growth, it is theorized that fat is first deposited in the form of subcutaneous fat, followed by intermuscular fat, and then intramuscular fat ( De Smet et al, 2004 ). Therefore, genetics companies have shifted their efforts to pigs with a greater mature size and an increasing number of pork processors have begun to focus on the greater slaughter weight, which in turn yields a leaner product while maintaining an acceptable level of fat ( Strzelecki et al, 1998 ; Price et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Several recent studies and market assessments have indicated that the weight of pork carcasses is expected to increase in upcoming years ( Morin et al, 2015 ; Harsh et al, 2017 ; Rice et al, 2018 ; Gilleland et al, 2019 ; Price et al, 2019 ). Harsh et al (2017) goes as far as to state predictions for carcass weights in the future, which were stated as 104 kg in 2030, 111 kg in 2040, and 118 kg in 2050.…”

“…Thus, fat depth, muscle depth, and predicted leanness are often the only carcass leanness parameters evaluated in commercial pigs. Several research studies have characterized the correlation between pork carcass weight and leanness parameters ( Kure, 1997 ; Ohlmann and Jones, 2011 ; Plà-aragonés et al, 2013 ; Rodríguez et al, 2014 ; Price et al, 2019 ). However, there still exist many misunderstandings among the relationship of pork carcass weight and leanness parameters, particularly in commercially representative pigs marketed under current times and conditions.…”

Pre-Slaughter Sources of Fresh Meat Quality Variation: The Case of Heavy Pigs Intended for Protected Designation of Origin Products

“…This increase is driven by both the dilution of fixed production cost over more weight per pig and the improvement of genetic selection of lean-type pigs [ 4 ]. Several studies evaluated the effects of greater slaughter weights on profitability, carcass quality, primal cuts yield, and pork quality (e.g., [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]); however, only in a few studies the slaughter weight considerably exceeded 125 kg [ 5 , 10 ]. This framework results in a pronounced lack of knowledge concerning the quality of the fresh meat of heavy pigs, and in particular on how pork quality of this productive category may be affected by pre-slaughter stressors under conventional conditions.…”