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A consumer study was performed in four EU countries to further clarify the acceptability of meat with boar taint. In Denmark, France, Italy and Poland, a total of 476 female consumers evaluated 8 meat patties from boars with varying levels of skatole (0.10-0.40μg/g fat tissue) and androstenone (0.47-2.00 μg/g fat tissue), in a pair-wise comparison with patties from castrates. Boar meat patties were always less preferred than the castrate meat patties, regardless of the level of androstenone and skatole. Acceptability of the boar meat patties decreased with increasing skatole level. In samples with low skatole levels, higher levels of androstenone also reduced acceptability among androstenone sensitive consumers. No clear threshold levels for androstenone and skatole could be identified. Maps presenting the reduction in preference due to increasing levels of skatole and androstenone, and corrected for the general acceptance of the meat product were developed, taking into account androstenone sensitivity. Further work is needed, covering the whole range of androstenone and skatole levels found in entire male pigs and for a wider set of meat products., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Since surgical castration of male piglets without anaesthesia is under heavy societal pressure, finding a sustainable solution to reduce boar taint has become urgent. One way to circumvent this animal welfare violation is raising entire male pigs whilst selecting against the tainted phenotype through marker-assisted selection. Since slaughtering at a lower weight is often suggested to reduce boar taint, selection using a marker for that trait could be a promising strategy. Therefore, in this study a melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) mutation, frequently described in different pig breeds as marker for fat content, weight gain and feed intake, was examined in relation to boar taint in pig breeds used in Belgian pig farms. Although results suggest an association between this mutation and a boar taint odour score assigned by experts, no association was found between the mutation and the concentration of the individual chemical boar taint components androstenone, skatole and indole., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study evaluates 1) carcass quality, meat quality and palatability for barrows, immunocastrates and boars and 2) the effect of chicory supplemented feed during 10 days before slaughter on boar meat quality. At comparable carcass weights, estimated carcass lean meat percentage was higher in immunocastrates and boars than in barrows. Muscle thickness was higher for immunocastrates and barrows compared to boars, while fat thickness was lowest for immunocastrates and boars. Barrows, immunocastrates and boars differed in water holding capacity and boar taint. Home consumer panels were conducted to evaluate palatability. The consumers did detect differences in tenderness and juiciness, but not for boar taint. The chicory feed supplemented in boar feed decreased skatole concentration in backfat, without largely influencing meat quality or palatability. Not only boar taint, but also carcass and meat quality should be considered when evaluating alternatives for surgical castration., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

No automated detection system for boar taint detection is currently available, thus boar taint at the slaughterline can currently only be assessed using the singeing method (olfactory scoring). This study compares several heating methods (microwave, soldering iron and pyropen) and evaluates the effect of habituation, cleaning the soldering iron, singeing the fat twice in the same place, and variations in the technical procedures. All methods seem to be suitable for detecting boar taint but the choice of heating method for sensory scoring of boar taint depends on habituation of the trained assessor and specific conditions applied. The pyropen seems to be most suitable because it does not contact the fat and is easy to handle (wireless). Finally, the intensity score may also be influenced by: contamination from not cleaning the soldering iron, singeing the fat twice in the same place, and the effect of habituation., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Three potential early-age predictors of which boars are likely to develop boar taint (testes volume, skin lesions and dirtiness) were measured on 102 boars every fortnight from 10 weeks of age until slaughter. These predictors were correlated with the level of boar taint according to the hot iron method and the concentrations of skatole and androstenone as determined by chemical analysis. The chance of no/low boar taint according to the hot iron method decreased with higher testes volume (weeks 22 and 24) and increased with skin lesion score (weeks 12, 16 and 18). For the concentrations of androstenone and skatole, the strongest correlation was found with testes volume in week 12. Skin lesions in week 16 were negatively correlated with skatole levels. Dirtiness was negatively correlated with skatole concentrations (week 18) but positively correlated with androstenone concentrations (weeks 20 and 22). Testes volume has the greatest potential for predicting the likelihood of developing boar taint., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Skatole and androstenone are the main boar taint compounds. Whereas nearly everybody is sensitive to skatole, the sensitivity to androstenone is genetically determined and differs between countries. In this study the methodology for testing androstenone sensitivity was refined and applied to 1569 consumers that were approached at six shopping malls in Flanders. Participants were asked to smell the contents of four bottles (three were filled with water and one with androstenone solved in water) and to identify and describe the odour of the strongest smelling bottle. This test was performed twice. 45.3% of the respondents were classified as sensitive to androstenone (i.e. the percentage of participants that identified the correct bottle in both tests minus a guess correction). Sensitivity differed between sexes (men: 38.3%-women: 51.1%, P<0.001), according to age (older people were less sensitive, P<0.001), and between the test locations (P<0.001), but not between smokers versus non-smokers., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

It has been suggested that skatole, one of the main compounds responsible for boar taint, can be lowered by keeping pigs clean, as skatole can be absorbed through skin and/or lungs (Hansen, Larsen, Jensen, HansenMoller & Bartongade, 1994). With this experiment, we further investigated this hypothesis by comparing extremely clean with extremely dirty animals with regard to the occurrence of boar taint. One group of boars was washed daily and pens were mucked on and littered down daily (CLEAN), a second group of boars was rubbed with faeces daily (DIRTY) and a third group of boars was kept in control conditions (CONTROL). The treatment was performed during the last four weeks before slaughter. According to the standardised consumer panel evaluations, boars subjected to extra soiling had a higher concentration of boar taint than boars that were kept extra clean. In contrast, expert panels judged general meat flavour to be inferior in CLEAN than CONTROL pigs. The home consumer panel, the hot iron method, and laboratory analyses, i.e., the presence of indole, skatole and androstenone in fat and serum, all showed no significant differences. So no clear indications towards skatole reduction by improving cleanliness of pigs were found., (Copyright © 2010 The American Meat Science Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to evaluate the possibility of reducing boar taint in boars (Piétrain×Hybrid) by addition of different feed ingredients (raw potato starch (RPS) 10%, raw potato starch 10%+wheat bran 5% (RPS+WB), lupins 10%, inulin 5%, clinoptilolite 1%) to a standard diet over a period of 4-6 weeks before slaughter. Control boars (CBOAR) as well as barrows were fed the standard diet. Efficacy of the different feed ingredients was evaluated by different boar taint detection methods: hot iron method, consumer panel, expert panel and laboratory analysis. According to all detection methods, clear differences were noticeable between boars and barrows. No differences in boar taint incidence were found between the boars on the different dietary treatments as assessed by consumers, experts, hot iron method or the concentration of skatole in fat. A significant effect on indole level was found, but no further differentiation could be made. The concentration of backfat androstenone was significantly higher for the inulin and control boar group compared to the lupin group. In conclusion, none of the feeding strategies tested in this study reduced boar taint in boars at the given percentages.