Pork Quality Traits According to Postmortem pH and Temperature in Berkshire

Abstract

This study was performed to investigate the role of pH and temperature postmortem, and to demonstrate the importance of these factors in determining meat quality. Postmortem pH45min (pH at 45 min postmortem or initial pH) via analysis of Pearson’s correlation showed high positive correlation with pH change pHc24 (pH change from pH45min to pH24h postmortem). However, postmortem pH after 24 h (pH24h or ultimate pH) had a high negative correlation with pH change, pHc24, CIE L*, and protein content. Initial temperature postmortem (T1h ) was positively associated with a change in temperature from 45 min to 24 h postmortem (Tc24) and cooking loss, but negatively correlated with water holding capacity. Temperature at 24 h postmortem (T24h) was negatively associated with Tc24. Collectively, these results indicate that higher initial pH was associated with higher pHc24, T1h, and Tc24. However, higher initial pH was associated with a reduction in carcass weight, backfat thickness, CIE a* and b*, water holding capacity, collagen and fat content, drip loss, and cooking loss as well as decreased shear force. In contrast, CIE a* and b*, drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force in higher ultimate pH was showed by a similar pattern to higher initial pH, whereas pHc24, carcass weight, backfat thickness, water holding capacity, fat content, moisture content, protein content, T1h, T24h, and Tc24 were exhibited by completely differential patterns (p<0.05). Therefore, we suggest that initial pH, ultimate pH, and temperatures postmortem are important factors in determining the meat quality of pork.

The effect of high pre‐slaughter environmental temperature on meat quality traits of Italian autochthonous pig Suino Nero Lucano

“…Kim et al. () showed that WHC is directly associated with muscle pH, whereas Tang, Yu, Zhang, and Bao () found negative correlation between WBS and pH. Protein, IMF and ash contents were not influenced by high pre‐slaughter environmental temperature ( p > .05; Table ) and their average contents (20.95, 6.65, and 1.14/100 g meat, respectively) were similar to those found in our previous study (Perna et al., ).…”

Comparative studies of meat quality traits and the proteome profile between low pH and high pH muscles in longissimus dorsi of Berkshire

“…The consumer demands for high quality meat is increasing in most countries, so high-quality meat production is important to satisfy the buying public and to render the pork industry competitive. To produce high-quality meat, it is necessary to understand the meat quality characteristics and the factors to control them (Kim et al 2016). These include pH, color, tenderness, waterholding capacity (WHC), and chemical composition.…”

Fiber characteristics of pork muscle exhibiting different levels of drip loss

“…A previous study reported that drip loss was a negatively correlated to pH 24 h post‐mortem ( r = −0.40) (Kim et al . ). The faster pH decline causes denaturation of sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins, resulting in reduced water‐holding capacity (Scheffler & Gerrard ).…”