Morphological signs of myopathy in pork that show no drastic decrease in pH after slaughter

High pH value 45 minutes after slaughter (рН45) has so far been the most frequently used indicator to select pig carcasses with normal course of autolysis. However, in practice, this does not provide meat quality homogeneity. Therefore, carcasses with рН45 > 6.0 were examined for signs of myopathy, which are characteristic for PSE meat, using the histological method. To perform the study, we randomly selected 320 individuals for slaughter out of 1,059 individuals of mixed swine grown in the same conditions. After slaughter, we selected 18 fresh carcasses that demonstrated low рН45. The results of the examination of the muscular tissue (L. dorsi) samples revealed that pork varied in microstructural characteristics. Only 44% of the samples had no signs of myopathy: no contracture nodes and destructive changes in the muscle fibers were present. A total of 39% of the samples were identified to the muscular tissue with mildly expressed myopathy, 17% of the samples – to the muscular tissue with acute myopathy. Thus, among the carcasses with рН45 > 6.0, 56% of the carcasses had signs of mild and acute myopathy, which explains quality homogeneity of meat selected using this criterion. Statistical analysis of the results suggested that the increase in the diameter of the muscle fibers of glycolytic type was related to appearance of signs of mild and acute myopathy – “giant fibers”. Increase in the weight of animals is not a risk factor. The obtained results allowed us to conclude the necessity of developing new approaches to assessing meat quality immediately after the slaughter with the purpose of increasing efficiency in predicting technological properties of meat. Promising directions of developing quick methods in histology allow us to hope that such approaches may be based on the data on microstructure of fresh muscular tissue.

Download Full-text

Association of the severity of lung lesions with carcass and meat quality in slaughter pigs

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica ◽

10.1556/004.2017.034 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 65 (3) ◽

pp. 354-365 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Nedjeljko Karabasil ◽

Nikola Čobanović ◽

Ivana Vučićević ◽

Silvana Stajković ◽

Zsolt Becskei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Ph Value ◽

Histopathological Examination ◽

Production Traits ◽

Immunohistochemical Examination ◽

Significant Deterioration ◽

Lung Lesions ◽

Slaughter Pigs ◽

Pse Meat ◽

Severe Lung

The aim of this study was to determine the association of lung lesions with carcass and meat quality traits in slaughter pigs and to describe the main morphological features associated with lung lesions. Macroscopic lesions on the lungs were detected in 67.09% of a total of 79 pigs examined. Histopathological examination revealed that acute and chronic interstitial pneumonia represented the commonest changes, detected in 26.67% and 33.33% of the cases, respectively. Bronchopneumonia was found in 33.33% of the cases. By immunohistochemical examination, 26.67% of the lungs showed the presence of severe peribronchiolar and perialveolar infiltration composed predominantly of CD3+ T lymphocytes, which finding may be indicative of viral pneumonia. Regarding the production traits, it was confirmed that pigs with severe lung lesions had the lowest liveweight, hot carcass weight and meatiness, the highest pH value 45 min after slaughtering (pH45) and the highest incidence of dark, firm, dry (DFD) and pale, soft, exudative (PSE) meat. The presence of lung lesions significantly downgraded carcass value and caused a significant deterioration in pork quality.

Download Full-text

Frozen/thawed meat quality associated with muscle fiber characteristics of porcine longissimus thoracis et lumborum, psoas major, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus muscles

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-92908-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Huilin Cheng ◽

Sumin Song ◽

Gap-Don Kim

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Muscle Fiber ◽

Shear Force ◽

Muscle Fibers ◽

Frozen Storage ◽

Meat Color ◽

Pork Meat ◽

Psoas Major ◽

The Relationship

AbstractTo evaluate the relationship between muscle fiber characteristics and the quality of frozen/thawed pork meat, four different muscles, M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL), M. psoas major (PM), M. semimembranosus (SM), and M. semitendinosus (ST), were analyzed from twenty carcasses. Meat color values (lightness, redness, yellowness, chroma, and hue) changed due to freezing/thawing in LTL, which showed larger IIAX, IIX, and IIXB fibers than found in SM (P < 0.05). SM and ST showed a significant decrease in purge loss and an increase in shear force caused by freezing/thawing (P < 0.05). Compared with LTL, SM contains more type IIXB muscle fibers and ST had larger muscle fibers I and IIA (P < 0.05). PM was the most stable of all muscles, since only its yellowness and chroma were affected by freezing/thawing (P < 0.05). These results suggest that pork muscle fiber characteristics of individual cuts must be considered to avoid quality deterioration during frozen storage.

Download Full-text

Significance of pH-value for meat quality of broilers: Influence of breed lines

Veterinarski glasnik ◽

10.2298/vetgl1302067r ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 67 (1-2) ◽

pp. 67-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

M. Ristic ◽

K. Damme

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Ph Value ◽

Storage Period ◽

Breeding Line ◽

Breast Meat ◽

Ph Values ◽

And Gender

For determination of poultry quality shortly after slaughtering, physical criteria (pH-value, conductivity, colour, juice retention) are of importance. However, they are affected by breeding, transport, cooling and the storage period. PH-values of breast meat (genetically structured material) were recorded shortly after slaughtering (15 min p.m.) and differences between breeding line and gender were found (n=5109). The pH1-values ranged from 5.50 to 6.79. Male broilers showed significantly lower pH1-values than female ones (6.02:6.10). There were also significant differences concerning breeding line and gender. Meat quality (PSE, DFD) of broilers can be recorded quickly and accurately determining the pH1-value of breast meat. Threshold ranges to be considered are ? 5.8 (PSE), 5.9-6.2 (standard meat properties) and ? 6.3 (DFD). This classification is not to be compared to the deviation of pork.

Download Full-text

Evaluation of NaCl and KCl Salting Effects on Technological Properties of Pre- and Post-Rigor Chicken Breasts at Various Ionic Strengths

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods9060721 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 721

Author(s):

Dong-Heon Song ◽

Youn-Kyung Ham ◽

Sin-Woo Noh ◽

Koo Bok Chin ◽

Hyun-Wook Kim

Keyword(s):

Ionic Strength ◽

Ph Value ◽

Protein Solubility ◽

Textural Properties ◽

Myofibrillar Protein ◽

Cooking Loss ◽

Technological Properties ◽

Raw Meat

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of NaCl and KCl salting on technological properties of pre- and post-rigor chicken breasts at various ionic strengths. The following factorial arrangement was used: 2 salt types (NaCl and KCl) × 2 rigor statuses (pre- and post-rigor) × 4 ionic strengths (0.086, 0.171, 0.257, and 0.342). Hot-boned and ground chicken breasts were salted within 30 min postmortem after slaughter (pre-rigor salting) or 24 h postmortem (post-rigor salting) with varying concentrations of NaCl (0.50%, 1.00%, 1.50%, and 2.00%) or KCl (0.64%, 1.28%, 1.91%, and 2.55%) corresponding to the four ionic strengths. KCl caused higher pH value in salted chicken breasts than NaCl (p < 0.05). However, KCl decreased total and myofibrillar protein solubilities in post-rigor salted chicken breasts compared to NaCl (p < 0.05), but those were similar to pre-rigor chicken breasts, regardless of the salt type (p > 0.05). Different salt types had no significant impact on cooking loss and textural properties. This study shows that NaCl and KCl had similar effects on technological properties at the same ionic strength (within 0.342), but the use of KCl may have the possibility to decrease protein solubility, depending on rigor status of raw meat at the different salting time.

Download Full-text

PSVI-1 Improvement of gut morphology and meat quality of broiler chickens by encapsulated citral and cinnamaldehyde

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skz258.401 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽

pp. 195-195

Author(s):

Chongwu Yang ◽

Janghan Choi ◽

Marion Mogire ◽

Argenis Rodas-González ◽

Moussa S Diarra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Meat Quality ◽

Ph Value ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Positive Control ◽

Negative Control ◽

Intestinal Morphology ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Gut Morphology

Abstract This study investigated the effects of encapsulated citral (CIT) and cinnamaldehyde (CIN) on growth performance, intestinal morphology and meat quality in broilers. A total of 320 0-day-age male broilers (Cobb 500) were allocated 32 pens with 8 pens per treatment. The treatments included: 1) Corn-wheat-SBM basal diet (negative control); 2) basal diet with 30 ppm avilamycin premix (positive control); 3) basal diet with 50 ppm encapsulated CIT and CIN (CCL); 4) basal diet with 100 ppm encapsulated CIT and CIN (CCH). There were no significant differences between treatments in growth performance (P > 0.05) at each feeding stage. Additionally, birds had similar relative organ weights of heart, liver, spleen and bursa (P > 0.05). The higher ratios of villus height to crypt depth (VCR; P ≤ 0.05) were detected in broilers fed either CCL or CCH, with an average being 14.67 and 15.13 in the duodenum, and 15.13 and 13.58 in the jejunum, respectively. Regarding meat quality, a higher pH value (pH = 6.21) in the breast was observed in 24-h post mortem chickens fed CCL (P ≤ 0.05). No significant differences of pH were detected in the breast in 96-h post mortem birds. The breast color (redness, yellowness, and lightness) in either 24-h or 96-h post mortem chickens was not significantly different among treatments (P > 0.05). No change in purge loss (%) was observed in the breast after 48 h. The severity of white striping (WS) or woody meat (WB) was higher in the positive control (WS = 0.58; WB = 0.15) than in other treatments (P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, dietary treatment with encapsulated CIT and CIN improved gut morphology and meat quality of broilers by increasing VCR in the small intestine and reducing the severity of WS/WB in the breast, respectively, without affecting growth performance.

Download Full-text

Differences in carcass traits, meat quality and chemical composition between the pigs of different CAST genotype

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an14732 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 56 (10) ◽

pp. 1745 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

I. Djurkin Kušec ◽

G. Kušec ◽

R. Vuković ◽

E. Has-Schön ◽

G. Kralik

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Meat Quality ◽

Shear Force ◽

Carcass Traits ◽

Muscle Thickness ◽

Intensity Level ◽

Quality Traits ◽

Calpain Activity ◽

Meat Quality Traits ◽

Pig Carcasses

The study was carried out on 89 Pig Improvement Co. (PIC) pig carcasses, with the aim to investigate the differences between three CAST loci in carcass and meat-quality traits, as well as chemical composition of longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle. The differences among genotypes at CAST/HinfI locus were significant in all carcass traits measured, where AB genotype exhibited preferable values in carcass lengths, ham length, muscle thickness, loin eye area, fat thickness and fat area. Among meat-quality traits analysed, genotypes at CAST/HinfI locus differed in pH45 in SM muscle, both pH24 in semimembranosus (SM) and LD muscles, as well as luminosity; genotypes at CAST/MspI differed in pH24 and EC24 measured at LD muscle and in red colour intensity, level of yellowness and hue angle; while genotypes at CAST/RsaI differed in pH45 and EC45 in SM muscle, pH24 in LD muscle, paleness and redness, as well as in shear force and calpain activity. EF genotype at this locus exhibited the highest pH values and the lowest CIE L*, with more pronounced red colour, but also highest shear force and lowest calpain activity values. Furthermore, significant differences in chemical composition of LD muscle were found only among genotypes at CAST/RsaI loci, where FF genotype had the lowest intramuscular fat and the highest relative share of protein.

Download Full-text

Pig carcass quality and pH1 values of meat

Czech Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.17221/4269-cjas ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 49 (No. 1) ◽

pp. 38-42 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J. Pulkrábek ◽

J. Pavlík ◽

L. Vališ

Keyword(s):

Carcass Trait ◽

Separate Analysis ◽

Progeny Testing ◽

Technological Properties ◽

Lean Meat ◽

Average Value ◽

Meat Content ◽

Negative Side Effects ◽

Pig Carcasses ◽

The Relationship

The data on 964 pig carcasses were examined with the objective to determine the relationship between a high carcass lean meat content in currently used pig hybrids and deterioration of the quality traits important for further processing of meat. The average slaughter weight of pigs was equal to 106.2 ± 0.417 kg. Lean meat percentage determined by the FOM instrument with the average value of 54.50 ± 0.139% was used as the main quantitative carcass trait. For the assessment of meat quality, the pH1 value (average 6.15 ± 0.011) was used in the same way as in the system of breeding animals’ progeny testing. The relationship between the mentioned traits is characterised by the low correlation coefficient r = –0.13. This result was further confirmed by correlations determined between pH1 and loin, shoulder and ham percentages (r = –0.33, r = –0.13 and r = –0.12, respectively). These relationships are rather surprising as the studies from the beginning and the first phase of realization of hybridisation programmes usually emphasized that the increasing lean meat content in carcass was connected with the higher incidence of negative side effects. Our conclusions are also in agreement with the results of the separate analysis of carcasses with pH1 above 5.8 and equal to or lower than 5.8. The carcasses with pH1 referring to less favourable technological properties of meat showed somewhat higher average values characterising carcass meat content but the differences between the groups were small and insignificant. We were not able to find any relationships between higher meat contents in carcasses and less favourable pH1 values when the carcasses were classified according to meat content.

Download Full-text

The relationship between the weight of a tissue in a single joint and the total weight of the tissue in a side of beef

Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s0003356100034383 ◽

1962 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 37-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

E. H. Callow

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Live Weight ◽

Total Weight ◽

Standard Errors ◽

Critical Study ◽

Average Weight ◽

Muscular Tissue ◽

Fatty Tissue ◽

Order Of Magnitude ◽

Four Levels

1. Using the data from the dissection of 24 sides of beef from Hereford, Dairy Shorthorn and Friesian steers on four levels of nutrition a critical study has been made of the relation of the weight of tissue in an anatomical joint to the total weight of the same tissue in the whole side.2. There was a significant eifect of breed and level of nutrition in the case of bone. The heaviest breed (Friesians) had a bigger proportion of bone in those bones which support the animal (i.e. the radius-ulna, humerus, femur and tibia-fibula) than had the lighter breeds (Herefords and Shorthorns). The effect of level of nutrition was not the same for all the bones and was difficult to interpret. There was little or no significant effect of breed or level of nutrition on the distribution of muscular or fatty tissue among the joints.3. The relation of the weight (in kg.) of a tissue (x) in a joint to that in the whole side (y) was expressed by groups of equations of the form, y = a+bx, there being a separate group for bone, muscular tissue, subcutaneous fatty tissue, intermuscular fatty tissue and total fatty tissue. Tables are provided giving the values for the constants ‘a’ and ‘b’ and standard errors of prediction joint by joint for each tissue.4. No general significance could be attached to the values for the constant ‘a’ but for each tissue there was a correlation between the value for ‘b’ and the inverse of the average weight of tissue in the corresponding joint. For each tissue there were one or two joints which were significantly aberrant. Aberrance is associated either with exceptionally high or with exceptionally low levels of errors of prediction.5. The high order of magnitude for the standard errors of prediction for estimating muscular tissue (± 12·2 1b. or more) and for estimating total fatty tissue (± 12·7 1b. for the loin), led to exploring the following rule of thumb method.6. The weight of muscular tissue in a carcass is approximately one-third of the live-weight of the animal, the weight of bone, tendon etc. is onequarter of the weight of muscular tissue and the remainder of the weight of a carcass is the weight of fatty tissue.7. Using the weights of the animals on the farm, the weight of the sides after hanging in the slaughter house overnight, and the weights of the tissue after dissection it was shown that the above method of estimation gave values for muscular tissue within ± 10·1 1b., for fatty tissue ± 11·8 1b. and for bone etc. ± 3·1. These values compare favourably with those calculated from the weight of muscular tissue in a joint (±12·2 1b. for the foreshin), and fatty tissue (neglecting thorax ±7·0 1b. and 13th rib ±9·8 1b.) ± 12·7 1b. for the loin. The estimate of bone etc. from the weight of radiusulna (± 1·7 1b.) was somewhat better.8. The general conclusion is that in studies of meat quality, and of the effect of breed and plane of nutrition on meat quality (including carcass conformation) it will be necessary to dissect the whole side or carcass joint by joint, tissue by tissue and muscle by muscle. There are no adequate short cuts.

Download Full-text

The Effect of Breed Line and Age on Measurements of pH-value as Meat Quality Parameter in Breast Muscles (m. Pectoralis Major) of Broiler Chickens

Procedia Food Science ◽

10.1016/j.profoo.2015.09.023 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 89-92 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Natasa Glamoclija ◽

Marija Starcevic ◽

Jelena Janjic ◽

Jelena Ivanovic ◽

Marija Boskovic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Ph Value ◽

Quality Parameter ◽

Pectoralis Major

Download Full-text

Meat quality parameters of broilers from different rearing systems

Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry ◽

10.2298/bah0504133b ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 21 (3-4) ◽

pp. 133-140

Author(s):

Snezana Bogosavljevic-Boskovic ◽

Sreten Mitrovic ◽

Vera Radovic ◽

Milun Petrovic

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Quality Characteristics ◽

Point Of View ◽

Poultry Meat ◽

Experimental Investigations ◽

Meat Production ◽

Muscular Tissue ◽

Free Range ◽

Study Results

Bearing in mind certain established European Union regulations on non-industrial poultry meat production, experimental investigations were conducted with the aim to examine the effect of two different rearing systems (free-range rearing and extensive rearing in the chicken pen) on some meat quality characteristics. Investigation results on the shares of muscular tissue, bones and skin in major carcass parts (breasts, thighs and drumsticks) were used as poultry meat quality parameters. Based upon the obtained study results, it could be concluded that a somewhat higher meat share in breasts and drumsticks was recorded with the free-range-reared broilers as compared to the extensively reared ones. A somewhat higher meat share in the drumsticks was registered with the hens whereas other differences from the point of view of the sex effect were small.

Download Full-text