Carcass Chilling Affects Meat Quality
The chilling rate of a pig carcass impacts pork quality in a number of ways – especially on destructured hams defect – according to research carried out in France.
1 September 2010
2 minute read
Institut du Porc (IFIP) in France has done a study on carcass chilling and pork quality, reports BPEX in its weekly newsletter. Two chilling rates from distinctive slaughterhouses were tested on pork carcasses. Meat quality parameters (early pH and ultimate pH) and carcass characteristics (sire genetic, carcass weight) were similar for the two chilling treatments, that made the comparative study possible.
When chilling rate is faster, drip loss is 21 per cent lower and shear force after two days of maturation is 21 per cent higher.
Another significant effect of chilling rate was its interaction with occurrence of destructured hams defect: slow chilling increased the frequency of the defect on hams with similar meat quality parameters by more than three times.
The chilling rate after slaughter could be a process factor useful for controlling the 'PSE-like zones' defect frequency in the pork industry.
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September 2010
