Managing the eating quality of pork - What the producer can do
By D.N. D'Souza and B.P. Mullan, Agriculture Western Australia - Meeting the consumer's need for lean, tender, juicy pork that is free from off-flavours and aromas is imperative to the future success of the Australian pork industry in an ever changing, highly competitive and global food market. Pork consumption globally has increased, however per capita pork consumption in Australia has remained relatively static for the last decade. Significant changes to pork production have been implemented to provide health conscious consumers with lean and nutritious pork. However, it could be that many of these changes have been detrimental to the eating quality of pork and possibly to pork consumption in Australia.The introduction of the Halothane gene in Australian herds for increased carcass leanness has resulted in a higher incidence of pale, soft, exudative (PSE) pork and a negative impact on the tenderness and juiciness of pork. The use of entire male pigs has seen an increase in consumer complaints regarding 'boar taint' and toughness of pork. The increased use of metabolic modifiers on-farm as management strategies to reduce carcass fatness has also been shown to have a detrimental influence on the eating quality of Australian pork. The effects of metabolic modifiers on eating quality are discussed. Also discussed is the use of specific pig breeds such as Duroc that have higher intramuscular fat levels and consequently better flavour, juiciness and tenderness. The effect of dietary magnesium and vitamin E supplementation in pig diets and their positive influence on pork quality are also discussed as effective on-farm strategies for producers to implement to improve the eating quality of Australian pork.
1 February 2002
2 minute read
