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The aim of this study was to compare the nutritional value, technological and sensory properties of pork loin and ham, and their changes during freezer storage. After slaughter and post-slaughter processing in the Warmia Meat Processing Plant in Biskupiec, carcasses were chilled at a temperature of 2-4°C for 24 h. Samples of loin (longissimus dorsi muscle, LD) and ham (semimembranosus muscle, SM) were collected from right half-carcasses. Loin and ham samples were divided into three portions. The first portion (fresh meat) was analyzed immediately, and the second and third portions were frozen and stored at a temperature of -18°C for one month and three months, respectively. Samples of fresh and stored meat were analyzed to determine their chemical composition, active acidity, water-holding capacity (WHC), emulsifying capacity, and color (CIE L*, a*, b* color space). The values of chroma (C*) and hue angle (h°) were calculated based on the values of color parameters a* and b*. Steam-cooked samples were analyzed to determine cooking loss and sensory attributes. The content of dry matter (DM) and fat was higher, and the protein concentration was lower in ham than in loin. The chemical composition of loin and ham, in particular DM content, was also affected by freezer storage. The pH values of both muscles were comparable, which points to the high quality of the analyzed meat, and they decreased in both loin and ham during freezer storage. Changes in active acidity observed in frozen loin and ham were reflected in the functional properties of meat. The emulsifying capacity increased and the WHC decreased, which resulted in greater cooking loss. An analysis of fresh meat samples revealed that loin was characterized by lower WHC and higher cooking loss than ham. Ham was darker in color than loin, and color lightness decreased in both loin and ham with prolonged freezer storage. The storage of frozen meat had a positive influence on its sensory attributes. Meat samples stored in a freezer for three months received the highest scores in the sensory analysis, and loin scored somewhat higher than ham. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The production of biofuels has caused an increase in the prices of agricultural commodities. Thus, the ecological footprint, social inclusion and profitability of production systems have encouraged the use of agro-industrial products as an alternative in ruminant feeds. Objective: To evaluate carcass yields, non-carcass components, and the economic viability of including licuri oil in diet of Santa Ines ewes. Methods: A total of 32 Santa Ines ewes (multiparous, non-lactating, 2-4 years old, and 36.7±0.87 kg of body weight--BW) were allotted to a randomized block design with four treatments (diets containing 0, 2, 4 or 5% licuri oil) with eight replicates per treatment, and confined for 77 days. Results: The incremental inclusion of licuri oil promoted a quadratic response on slaughter BW, carcass and true yields, chest widths, heart fat, pancreas, omental fat, and ribeye area (p<0.05). Carcass, heart and loin weight, shank yield, fat thickness and loin fat were reduced (p<0.05); while cooling losses, left half-carcass weight, saw blade yield, and proportion of meat in the loin increased (p<0.05) with increasing dietary levels of licuri oil. The control diet resulted in the best gross revenue (USD$609.39); however, there was a loss (USD$50.96) regarding economic performance indicators. Conclusion: The use of up to 2% licuri oil in the diet increased carcass yield of discard ewes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The production of biofuels has caused an increase in the prices of agricultural commodities. Thus, the ecological footprint, social inclusion and profitability of production systems have encouraged the use of agroindustrial products as an alternative in ruminant feeds. Objective: To evaluate carcass yields, non-carcass components, and the economic viability of including licuri oil in diet of Santa Ines ewes. Methods: A total of 32 Santa Ines ewes (multiparous, non-lactating, 2–4 years old, and 36.7±0.87 kg of body weight—BW) were allotted to a randomized block design with four treatments (diets containing 0, 2, 4 or 5% licuri oil) with eight replicates per treatment, and confined for 77 days. Results: The incremental inclusion of licuri oil promoted a quadratic response on slaughter BW, carcass and true yields, chest widths, heart fat, pancreas, omental fat, and ribeye area (p

The evaluation of the carcass composition of livestock generates relevant information on the quality and final yield of the meat products. The objective of this work was to evaluate correlations the ultrasound measurements in vivo of the Longissimus lumborum with the physical-chemical components of one-year-old Santa Ines sheep bred in extensive systems. The ultrasound evaluation was performed of the rib eye area (USrea), loin depth (USld), loin width (USlw) and subcutaneous fat thickness (USsft). After slaughter, meat cuts were weighed and carcass yield was calculated. The 12th rib on the left side was separated from the carcass and dissected, after which individual bones, muscles and fat were separated and weighed. The components were regrouped, ground and collected for centesimal evaluation. Significant positive correlations (p < 0.05) were found between the ultrasound measurements and meat metrics, except for the loin length, which had low correlation. Significant correlations (p < 0.05) were found between muscles and the measurements of USld, USrea and USsft. The correlations (p < 0.05) between the bones and USld and USrea were negative and significant. USsft presented correlation (p < 0.05) with carcass yield. Thus, the ultrasound measurements associated with the Longissimus lumborum could constitute a valuable tool for evaluating the physical-chemical components and carcass of one-year-old Santa Inês sheep created in extensive systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to assess the feasibility of increasing the slaughter weight (SW) of non-lean finishing pigs to improve their meat quality. A total of 36 (Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc gilts and barrows were slaughtered at 115 (Av), 125 (Hi), or 135 (XHi) kg, followed by physicochemical analyses and sensory evaluation on their longissimus dorsi (LD) and Semimembranosus (SM) muscles. Backfat thickness was greater (p < 0.05) for the XHi (31.2 mm) and Hi (29.3 mm) groups than for Av (25.0 mm). Dressing percentage and yield of the belly per whole carcass were also slightly greater for XHi and Hi vs. Av. The intramuscular fat (IMF) content of SM was greater for XHi (2.64%) than for Av (1.83%) and Hi (2.04%) and also was correlated with SW (r = 0.55). The pH value, lightness, redness, drip loss, shear force, and moisture and protein contents of LD and SM, as well as IMF content of LD, were unaffected by SW. Percentages of 14:0, 16:0, and total saturated fatty acids (FA) were less for Hi and XHi vs. Av in SM, those of total unsaturated FA, 18:2, 20:4, and n-6 being opposite; FA composition of LM was not influenced by SW except for a reduced 18:0 percentage for XHi vs. Av. The sensory score was less for XHi vs. Av for odor in fresh LD and SM, and less for Hi and XHi vs. Av for aroma in fresh LM; scores for color, drip loss, marbling, and acceptability were unaffected by SW. As for cooked muscles, none of the scores for color, aroma, flavor, juiciness, tenderness, and acceptability was affected by SW, except for a greater LD color score for Hi and XHi vs. Av. Collectively, the results suggested that the increased yield of the carcass and belly due to increased SW is outbalanced negatively by excessive backfat deposition in production efficiency, whereas the SW increase exerts little influence on overall sensory quality of fresh or cooked meat. Production of non-lean market pigs overweighing 115 kg therefore will be uneconomical unless consumers pay a substantial premium for the over-fattened pork.

Physicochemical and sensory analyses are commonly used to determine the quality characteristics of food samples in Food Industries. These methods are tedious, laborious, produce chemical residues, and involve the destruction of the samples. For the meat industries, this work proposes a non-invasive and non-destructive computer-aided inspection system, based on computer vision and ensemble machine learning techniques. The paper presents all the possibilities for the development of the system, making an exhaustive comparison of different algorithms used to extract features from the images of the samples, and various machine learning approaches, studying up to 6160 different models, and selecting the top 110 for the ensemble proposal. The system determines all the physicochemical, textural, and sensory quality characteristics of pork and beef loins in four meat states (fresh, thawed, cooked, and cured) with good precision, being a real alternative to the usual methods for the Food Industry.

The evaluation of the carcass composition of livestock generates relevant information on the quality and final yield of the meat products. The objective of this work was to evaluate correlations the ultrasound measurements in vivo of the Longissimus lumborum with the physical-chemical components of one-year-old Santa Ines sheep bred in extensive systems. The ultrasound evaluation was performed of the rib eye area (USrea), loin depth (USld), loin width (USlw) and subcutaneous fat thickness (USsft). After slaughter, meat cuts were weighed and carcass yield was calculated. The 12th rib on the left side was separated from the carcass and dissected, after which individual bones, muscles and fat were separated and weighed. The components were regrouped, ground and collected for centesimal evaluation. Significant positive correlations (p < 0.05) were found between the ultrasound measurements and meat metrics, except for the loin length, which had low correlation. Significant correlations (p < 0.05) were found between muscles and the measurements of USld, USrea and USsft. The correlations (p < 0.05) between the bones and USld and USrea were negative and significant. USsft presented correlation (p < 0.05) with carcass yield. Thus, the ultrasound measurements associated with the Longissimus lumborum could constitute a valuable tool for evaluating the physical-chemical components and carcass of one-year-old Santa Inês sheep created in extensive systems.

Simple Summary: To satisfy consumer demand, it is necessary to ensure the quality of the meat and small intestine of animals. For consideration of animal welfare and to obtain an adequate quality of the meat and small intestine, animals need to be stunned to minimize anxiety, pain, distress, or suffering. Electric stunning and exposure to a high concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) are common stunning methods in the meat industry. However, both methods have some limitations. Pale color and a higher tendency of ecchymosis is the common feature in electric-stunned pigs' meat. Exposure to higher concentration of carbon dioxide induces high aversion, irritation of nasal mucosal membranes, and severe respiratory distress causing hyperventilation and breathlessness in pigs. Hypercapnia, hyperglycemia, lactic acidosis, and an increased hematocrit also occur in pigs. To reducing the negative impacts of CO2, inert gases (i.e., Argon and N2) are sometimes mixed with CO2. But, the amount of Argon in the atmosphere is very negligible (0.93%) and Argon has a high cost in the market. To maintain hypercapnic–hypoxia and improve stability, a higher concentration of N2 has sometimes been mixed with CO2 and used in pig stunning. But, no trial has used only high concentration of nitrogen in the stunning of animals, while maintaining a hypoxic condition (less than 2% O2 in atmosphere). Our study involved conducting a trial on electricity, CO2 (80%), and high concentrations of nitrogen (98%) in the stunning of pigs and comparing the meat and small intestine quality traits. Findings show that the meat and small intestine quality of N2 (98%)-stunned pigs was favorable compared to the other treatment groups. The objective of present study was to investigate the feasibility of utilizing only high concentration of nitrogen gas in the stunning of pigs and its effects on the quality traits of the meat and small intestine.To conduct this experiment, three treatment groups were compared: (i) electric stunning (T1), (ii) CO2 (80%) gas stunning (T2), and (iii) N2 (98%) gas stunning (T3). A total of 21 standard pigs (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc; LYD) were collected from a commercial pig farm, randomly selecting seven pigs for each group (body weight of 104.5 to 120.6 kg). For stunning, each individual pig was separately kept in a gas chamber, after which each specific gas was used to fulfill the desired level in the pit. To obtain the desired level of concentration for each gas (N2 at 98% and CO2 at 80%), approximately 80 min and 35 min were required, respectively. It was observed that after reaching the desired level of concentration, pigs were stunned within a very short time (for CO2, 90 s and for N2, 120 s). For electric stunning, standard quality electric devices were used. After slaughtering, the meat and small intestine of each animal was collected separately and kept in a cool room where temperature was −2 °C. In the meat and small intestine, L* (Lightness) and b* (Yellowness) were high (p < 0.05) in the T1 and T3 groups. The T2 group showed high a* (Redness) (p < 0.05) values in both the meat and small intestine. A proximate composition of meat showed no significant differences except moisture. The water holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss (CL), and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) of meat were lowest in the T2 group, but not at a notable difference compared to T3. In the small intestine, L* (Lightness), a* (Redness), b* (Yellowness), and thickness significantly differed (p < 0.05) in each group, but WBSF showed no significance between the T2 and T3 groups. It is concluded that a high concentration of N2 gas (98%) may be considered in the stunning of pigs, and its effect on meat and small intestine is favorable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the influence of the castration method on the indicators of the meat cuts of pig carcasses, two groups of 74 boars were selected. Surgical castration was carried out in one of them, and immunological vaccination method was used in the other group. Both surgically castrated and immunocastrated boars were reared and fattened under the same conditions. And at the end of fattening, they were slaughtered and their carcasses evaluated for weight and proportion of meat cuts separately in the cervical-scapular, back-lumbar and pelvicfemoral thirds. The result of the assessment was the establishment of a significantly higher value of the weight indicators of such meat cuts as single-grade pork from the neck by 0.3 kg or 20.0% (P <0.01) and the weight of lard with skin by 0.6 kg or 13.64 % (P <0.05) in the shoulder-scapular third of the carcass and single-grade pork per 0.2 kg or 15.38% (P <0.05) in the pelvic-femoral third of the carcass in immunocastrated pigs. A significant difference in the weight and content of other meat cuts of carcasses was not established with the use of immuno- and surgical castration of pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc supplementation in rabbit diet favours deposition of this mineral in meat and, therefore, contributes to satisfying the daily requirements of Zn in humans that consume it. A trial was conducted to study the effect of two sources (ZnSO4 and Zn-methionate) and two concentrations of Zn, along with a control (without Zn supplementation), on weight gain, meat quality and muscle retention in New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits during fattening stage. Treatments were randomly assigned to 100 NZW rabbits 40 days old, in a completely randomised experimental design using a factorial arrangement of treatments (2×2+control). The experimental period was 30 d. In each experimental treatment, weight gain, feed consumption and meat quality were recorded, as well as the retention of Zn in serum, liver, loin and hind leg. Results showed no differences (P>0.05) in weight gain and food consumption, which can be attributed to diet-added Zn sources (ZnSO4 and Zn-methionate). Food conversion was better with the organic source at the highest concentration (P0.05) in hind legs for source effect and Zn concentration, while in loin, differences (P=0.02) were found in the colour parameter of L* and B* when the organic source of Zn (Zn-methionate) was supplied. Most retention of Zn on the loin occurred when a concentration of 25 mg Zn kg–1 of Zn-methionate was added, which could be important to provide larger amounts of Zn for human consumption.

Zinc supplementation in rabbit diet favours deposition of this mineral In meat and, therefore, contributes to satisfying the daily requirements of Zn in humans that consume it. A trial was conducted to study the effect of two sources (ZnSO4 and Zn-methionate) and two concentrations of Zn, along with a control (without Zn supplementation), on weight gain, meat quality and muscle retention in New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits during fattening stage. Treatments were randomly assigned to 100 NZW rabbits 40 days old, in a completely randomised experimental design using a factorial arrangement of treatments (2x2+control). The experimental period was 30 d. In each experimental treatment, weight gain, feed consumption and meat quality were recorded, as well as the retention of Zn in serum, liver, loin and hind leg. Results showed no differences (P>0.05) in weight gain and food consumption, which can be attributed to diet-added Zn sources (ZnSO4 and Zn-methionate). Food conversion was better with the organic source at the highest concentration (P<0.05). Regarding meat quality, no differences were found (P>0.05) in hind legs for source effect and Zn concentration, while in loin, differences (P=0.02) were found in the colour parameter of L* and B* when the organic source of Zn (Zn-methionate) was supplied. Most retention of Zn on the loin occurred when a concentration of 25 mg Zn kg-1 of Zn-methionate was added, which could be important to provide larger amounts of Zn for human consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intramuscular fat (IMF) content depends on sex, genotype and diet and varies with pig growth. The aim of the present work was to determine the evolution of IMF by genotype-sex, muscle and muscle location, to determine relationships between IMF content of different muscles and to predict IMF in live pigs with computed tomography (CT). For this purpose, 155 pigs of seven combinations of genotype-sex were CT scanned and slaughtered at 70, 100 and 120 kg. From the carcasses, fat thickness was measured at several locations along the midline. Loin samples from three anatomical positions (between the eighth and ninth last ribs, between the third and fourth last ribs and between the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae) and three ham muscles (biceps femoris, semimembranosus and gluteus medius) were extracted, weighed and IMF was determined with near-IR equipment. From CT images, the distribution of volume by Hounsfield value (unit related with the density) was obtained for each muscle and anatomical location. Marbling was evaluated in the three loin locations. The effects of genotype-sex and live weight and their interaction were included in the statistical model. For prediction of IMF with CT images, partial least square regression was used. The results show differences in IMF content by genotype-sex and muscle. In general, the most cranial part of the loin presented higher IMF content, as well as the biceps femoris muscle of the ham. Depending on the genotype-sex, IMF content increased during all growth or increased until 100 kg and then became constant. Correlation coefficients between IMF content by muscle/location were between 0.74 and 0.83 within loin locations and between 0.53 and 0.70 for ham muscles. Correlation coefficients between marbling and IMF content evaluated at the same location varied between 0.51 and 0.66. Prediction of IMF content from CT images is not accurate enough (residual predictive deviation statistical values lower than 1.3). Muscle weight increase with animal growth and allometric coefficients varied between 0.89 and 0.97 for the muscles evaluated. The conclusions of the present work are that IMF content differs between and within muscle, during growth and by genotype-sex and that prediction of IMF in CT images of live pigs is not accurate.

The objective of present study was to investigate the feasibility of utilizing only high concentration of nitrogen gas in the stunning of pigs and its effects on the quality traits of the meat and small intestine.To conduct this experiment, three treatment groups were compared: (i) electric stunning (T1), (ii) CO2 (80%) gas stunning (T2), and (iii) N2 (98%) gas stunning (T3). A total of 21 standard pigs (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc; LYD) were collected from a commercial pig farm, randomly selecting seven pigs for each group (body weight of 104.5 to 120.6 kg). For stunning, each individual pig was separately kept in a gas chamber, after which each specific gas was used to fulfill the desired level in the pit. To obtain the desired level of concentration for each gas (N2 at 98% and CO2 at 80%), approximately 80 min and 35 min were required, respectively. It was observed that after reaching the desired level of concentration, pigs were stunned within a very short time (for CO2, 90 s and for N2, 120 s). For electric stunning, standard quality electric devices were used. After slaughtering, the meat and small intestine of each animal was collected separately and kept in a cool room where temperature was −2 °C. In the meat and small intestine, L* (Lightness) and b* (Yellowness) were high (p < 0.05) in the T1 and T3 groups. The T2 group showed high a* (Redness) (p < 0.05) values in both the meat and small intestine. A proximate composition of meat showed no significant differences except moisture. The water holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss (CL), and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) of meat were lowest in the T2 group, but not at a notable difference compared to T3. In the small intestine, L* (Lightness), a* (Redness), b* (Yellowness), and thickness significantly differed (p < 0.05) in each group, but WBSF showed no significance between the T2 and T3 groups. It is concluded that a high concentration of N2 gas (98%) may be considered in the stunning of pigs, and its effect on meat and small intestine is favorable.

Organic meat products are gaining consumer interest worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of organic and conventional meat origin on nutritional determinants of the following pork meat cuts: loin, ham, and shoulder. Nutritional value of meat was based on selected indicators such as proximate composition, the concentration of cholesterol, vitamin E content and minerals and trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, and zinc, and the composition of fatty acids. The results of this study demonstrated that higher contents of protein and selected mineral compounds, as well as lower vitamin E concentration and different fatty acids (i.e., C12:0, C17:0, C17:1 n-7, C18:3 n-6, C24:0 and total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)) distinguish organic pork meat cuts from the conventional counterparts. The organically meat parts, especially the shoulder, were identified as a better source of copper, calcium, iron and zinc, while organic ham and loin had more potassium. On the other hand, organic hams were shown to have lower content of vitamin E in comparison to their conventional equivalents present. Also, in organic shoulders showed a higher n-6/n-3 ratio compared to meat of conventional origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the help of the automated system for the classification of carcasses of pigs, AutoFOM ultrasound have been processed 56682 carcasses of slaughter pigs with an average carcass weight of 94.3 kg. The mass and yield of muscle tissue from the main cuts in the carcass is shown. Correlation coefficients between the mass and the content of muscle tissue in the carcass and the main (premium) cuts (ham, neck, shoulder, belly, and loin) were studied. It is shown how the increase in the weight of each of the cuts affects the content of muscle tissue in the carcass and in the cut. For example, it was found that when the weight of the belly is increased by 10 kg (from 6 to 16 kg), the percentage of muscle tissue from carcass is reduced by 3.3% (from 54.5 to 51.8%), which is approximately 0.33% for 1 kg of additional weight of the belly. With an increase in the weight of the loin from 4 to 14 kg, the yield of muscle tissue from the carcass on the contrary increased by 11.6%, i.е. 1.16% for each additional kg of loin weight. A value (in absolute and relative units) of the main cuts is given. The conclusion is made about the prospects of using the obtained data in the creation of a specialized terminal line of pigs, characterized by an increased content of weight of premium cuts in the carcass.ContributionAll authors bear responsibility for the work and presented data. All authors made an equal contribution to the work. The authors were equally involved in writing the manuscript and bear the equal responsibility for plagiarism.Conflict of interestThe authors declare no conflict of interest.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and quantify variation in sensory attributes along the Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle in rabbits. A descriptive analysis was performed by a panel of 8 assessors previously trained in the evaluation of rabbit meat. Reference standards used in training for the evaluation of rabbit meat are also described. Sensory attributes rabbit and liver odour, rabbit and liver flavour, toughness, juiciness and fibrousness were assessed in 56 rabbits from a divergent selection experiment for intramuscular fat (28 slaughtered at 9 wk and 28 slaughtered at 13 wk). Immediately after cooking, loins were cut lengthwise into 4 equidistant pieces from caudal to cranial end (LD1, LD2, LD3 and LD4). Assessors were able to detect and quantify a longitudinal sensory variation in muscle LD. Caudal extreme LD1 was tougher and more fibrous than LD2, LD3 and LD4, and less juicy than LD3 and LD4. The greatest variation was found between caudal and cranial ends, with LD1 being 9% tougher (P=0.99), 11% more fibrous (P=1.00) and 12% less juicy (P=0.99) than LD4. Assessors found few variations along LD muscle in flavour and odour attributes. Location LD3 showed 9% greater rabbit odour (P=0.99) and flavour (P=0.97) than LD4, and 8% greater rabbit odour than LD2 (P=0.97). Our results highlight the importance of randomisation within muscle location in sensory studies on rabbit LD muscle, as there is considerable sensory variation along this muscle.

The adoption of a BIM-based approach for the design and setup of a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system is an unexplored topic in the scientific literature. This paper presents a methodology designed to optimize the information management of the entire process using Building Information Modeling (BIM), defining the exchange information requirements (EIRs), Process Map, and Levels of Information Need (LoINs). Moreover, to verify the consistency of the information exchanged, this paper employs the information delivery specification (IDS) standard, developing a script that, using LoINs and the BIM model as input, verifies the desired requirements at each stage of the process. The proposed approach is applied to a viaduct on the Naples-Salerno highway, achieving a fully digital and interoperable platform for stakeholders involved in the processes. The results highlight the advantages of the proposed methodology over traditional approaches. • Improved coordination across disciplines in SHM system design. • Exploiting BIM to optimize collaboration and efficiency of traditional SHM workflows. • Achieve consistency and compliance with EIRs through Information Delivery Specifications (IDS). • Innovating SHM system design and setup through open-BIM for greater effectiveness. • Validating the performance of BIM-based workflows for the SHM system setup of highway viaducts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effect of dry-aging on quality, palatability, and flavor-related compounds of pork loins. Ten pork loins were obtained at 7 days postmortem, divided into three equal portions, randomly assigned into three different aging methods (wet-aging (W), conventional dry-aging (DA), and UV-light dry-aging (UDA)), and aged for 21 days at 2 °C, 70% RH, and 0.8 m/s airflow. The results showed similar instrumental tenderness values across all treatments (p > 0.05), while DA and UDA had a greater water-holding capacity than WA (p < 0.05). Both DA and UDA were observed to have comparable color stability to WA up to 5 days of retail display (p > 0.05). Greater lipid oxidation was measured in both DA and UDA at the end of display compared to WA (p < 0.05). The UV light minimized microorganisms concentration on both surface and lean portions of UDA compared to other treatments (p < 0.05). The consumer panel was not able to differentiate any sensory traits and overall likeness between the treatments (p > 0.05). Metabolomics analysis, however, identified more flavor-related compounds in dry-aged meat. These findings suggested that dry-aging can be used for pork loins for value-seeking consumers, as it has a potential to generate unique dry-aged flavor in meat with no adverse impacts on meat quality and microbiological attributes.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the carcass and meat traits, and the non-carcass components of crossbred Dorper lambs fed diets with increasing levels of urea (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% of dry matter – DM). The experimental design was completely randomized with four treatments (urea inclusion levels) and six replicates per treatment. Lambs were fed ad libitum for 56 days and slaughtered at 37.9 ± 5.1 kg of body weight (BW). The weight and yield of carcass before and after cooling were not influenced by urea levels, with average values of 16.9 kg and 44.6% for cold carcass weight and yield. Urea levels did not affect the morphometric measurements, the fat deposition on the carcass, the weight of carcass cuts and the weight of non-carcass components. There was a quadratic effect of urea levels on the loin yield, which may achieve maximum value of 11.31% with the inclusion of 0.84% DM urea in the feed. The pH and the color coordinates L* (brightness), a* (red intensity) and C* (saturation) of the meat also showed quadratic response to the urea levels, where in the minimum value of 5.53 for pH, maximum value of 48.67 for L* and minimum values of 14.04 and 16.21 for a* and C* may be obtained by including 0.53 to 0.70% DM urea in the ration. The inclusion of 0.84% DM urea in the ration is recommended to obtain maximum yield of loin and meat with attractive characteristics to the consumer, which is characterized by high red intensity and brightness. If consumers have preference for lamb meat with a more intense red color, the inclusion of 1.5% DM urea should be considered in the ration formulation.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to develop and evaluate prediction equations, based on measurements obtained on the slaughter line, for carcass classification according to the degree of exudation and the content of marbling. A total of 747 pig carcasses originated from 27 producers were randomly selected on the slaughter line at two slaughterhouses, constituting representative samples from each one. Hot carcass weight, loin depth, back fat thickness, and pH and temperature 45 min after slaughter were used to generate the equations. The carcasses were classified as normal or exudative for drip loss of loin and ham, and as acceptable or undesirable for marbling content. For drip loss of loin and ham, respectively, the overall correct classification of the carcasses was 87.3 and 76.8%, using the discriminant functions, for both categories. For marbling, the overall correct classification was 67.2%, and only 69% of the carcasses were correctly classified as acceptable (marbling >1). The equations developed based on the measurements obtained on the slaughter line allow classifying swine carcasses with high accuracy, according to the degree of exudation, but not with the content of marbling.

Adequate carcass chilling is required to optimize pork quality and food safety. The rate at which carcasses chill is dependent on their mass. Hot carcass weight has increased steadily over the years, certainly affecting the chilling rate of the average carcass in contemporary abattoirs. Therefore, the objective was to model the effect of HCW on temperature decline of a contemporary population of pork carcasses slaughtered at a commercial abattoir that used a blast-chilling method. In addition, carcasses were sorted into HCW classes, and the effect of HCW group was tested on the rate of temperature decline of the longissimus dorsi and semimembranosus. Hot carcass weight, internal temperature of the loin muscle (at the 10th rib) and ham, as well as ambient temperature, were recorded from 40 to 1,320 min postmortem (45 time points) on 754 pork carcasses. An exponential decay model based on Newton's law of cooling,   T (t) = T a + (T 0 − T a) e − k t ⁠, was fit to temperature decline of the ham and loin of the whole population using PROC MODEL of SAS. The initial models for the decline of both ham and loin temperature displayed significant autocorrelation of errors based on evaluation of the autocorrelation function plots and Durbin–Watson test (P < 0.0001). Therefore, second- and third-order autocorrelation parameters were tested. Based on Durbin–Watson test, the use of second-order autocorrelation model with lags of 1 and 2 was deemed adequate and was therefore included in all subsequent models. This base model and its respective parameter estimates were all significant (P < 0.01) for the whole population. Carcasses approximating 85, 90, 95, 100, and 105 kg (± 1 kg) were selected and binned into their respective weight classes. Dummy variables were used to compare the effect of HCW class on parameter estimate of ham and loin models. The developed model significantly fit all weight classes (P < 0.01) for both ham and loin temperature decline. For both loin and ham models, estimates of the rate constant (k) generally decreased as HCW increased. For loin temperature, k estimate for 105-kg carcasses was 0.00124 less (P = 0.02) than 85-kg carcasses, with the intermediate HCW classes not differing from the 85-kg class. For ham temperature, estimates of k for 90, 95, 100, and 105 kg HCW were all significantly and successively less than the k estimate for 85 kg class. For perspective, loins of 95-kg carcasses were estimated to reach 2 °C in 17 h, whereas loins from 105-kg carcasses would not reach 2 °C until 27 h. For hams, 95-kg carcasses were projected to reach 2 °C in 21 h, whereas those from 105-kg carcasses would take 28 h. Overall, HCW significantly affects the rate of temperature decline of pork hams, but not loins from pork carcasses weighing between 85 and 100 kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intramuscular fat (IMF) content depends on sex, genotype and diet and varies with pig growth. The aim of the present work was to determine the evolution of IMF by genotype-sex, muscle and muscle location, to determine relationships between IMF content of different muscles and to predict IMF in live pigs with computed tomography (CT). For this purpose, 155 pigs of seven combinations of genotype-sex were CT scanned and slaughtered at 70, 100 and 120 kg. From the carcasses, fat thickness was measured at several locations along the midline. Loin samples from three anatomical positions (between the eighth and ninth last ribs, between the third and fourth last ribs and between the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae) and three ham muscles (biceps femoris, semimembranosus and gluteus medius) were extracted, weighed and IMF was determined with near-IR equipment. From CT images, the distribution of volume by Hounsfield value (unit related with the density) was obtained for each muscle and anatomical location. Marbling was evaluated in the three loin locations. The effects of genotype-sex and live weight and their interaction were included in the statistical model. For prediction of IMF with CT images, partial least square regression was used. The results show differences in IMF content by genotype-sex and muscle. In general, the most cranial part of the loin presented higher IMF content, as well as the biceps femoris muscle of the ham. Depending on the genotype-sex, IMF content increased during all growth or increased until 100 kg and then became constant. Correlation coefficients between IMF content by muscle/location were between 0.74 and 0.83 within loin locations and between 0.53 and 0.70 for ham muscles. Correlation coefficients between marbling and IMF content evaluated at the same location varied between 0.51 and 0.66. Prediction of IMF content from CT images is not accurate enough (residual predictive deviation statistical values lower than 1.3). Muscle weight increase with animal growth and allometric coefficients varied between 0.89 and 0.97 for the muscles evaluated. The conclusions of the present work are that IMF content differs between and within muscle, during growth and by genotype-sex and that prediction of IMF in CT images of live pigs is not accurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid composition and sensory traits of the meat from female lambs of the Pantaneiro genetic group slaughtered with 2.00, 3.00 and 4.00 mm of subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) were evaluated by ultrasound. Twenty-four lambs weighing 16.24 ± 1.78 kg were confined in feedlots. These animals were fed with pelleted diet formulated to provide a daily weight gain of 0.30 kg. As the lambs reached the pre-set SFT in the weekly evaluation by ultrasound, they were slaughtered on the day following the measurement, regardless of their weight. The SFT did not alter the fatty acid profile of meat from Pantaneiro lambs. For the sensory analysis, the meat from the animals slaughtered with 4.00 mm SFT received the best score for variables overall acceptance and characteristic flavor as compared with the females slaughtered with 2.00 mm SFT. The treatment with 3.00 mm SFT, however, did not differ from the others. For sensory traits odor and juiciness, no effect of SFT was found. It is recommended to slaughter lambs with 3.00 mm thickness of subcutaneous fat on the loin, because covered better number of favorable attributes in sensory analysis.

Purple rice is a strain of glutaneous rice rich in anthocyanins and γ-oryzanol. Both types of compounds are involved in antioxidant and lipid metabolism of mammals. Three experimental diet types were used which consisted approximately by half either of purple rice, white rice or corn. Diets were fed to 3×10 pigs growing from about 30 to 100 kg. Meat samples were investigated either as raw or cured loin chops or as smoked bacon produced from the belly. Various physicochemical traits were assessed and data were evaluated by analysis of variance. Traits describing water-holding capacity (drip, thaw, and cooking losses) and tenderness (sensory grading, shear force) of the meat were mostly not significantly affected by the diet type. However, purple rice feeding of pigs resulted in lower fat and cholesterol contents of loin and smoked bacon compared to white rice, but not compared to corn feeding except of the fat content of the loin. The shelf life of the raw loin chops was improved by purple rice as well. In detail, the occurrence of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances after 9 days of chilled storage was three to four times higher in the white rice and corn diets than with purple rice. The n-6:n-3 ratio in the raw loin chops was 9:1 with purple rice and clearly higher with 12:1 with the other diets, meat lipids. Level and kind of effect of purple rice found in raw meat was not always recovered in the cured loin chops and the smoked bacon. Still the impression of flavor and color, as well as overall acceptability were best in the smoked bacon from the purple-rice fed pigs, whereas this effect did not occur in the cured loin chops. These findings suggest that purple rice has a certain, useful, bioactivity in pigs concerning meat quality, but some of these effects are of low practical relevance. Further studies have to show ways how transiency and low recovery in meat products of some of the effects can be counteracted.

In livestock science and meat science, muscle fiber characteristics have been evaluated based on a cross-sectional area (CSA) of muscle fiber. However, muscle fiber is not planar but cylindrical. Thus, muscle fiber volume and volume-based characteristics were evaluated in this study. In addition, their relationships to pork loin quality was assessed and compared with that of CSA-based muscle fiber characteristics. Muscle fiber type IIB was underestimated by CSA-based evaluations with 1.6 times in fiber size and 2.6 times in relative composition. The pennation angle, which ranged from 48.00° to 83.33°, determined the real CSA and total number of fibers (TNF) on the surface of a loin chop. Significant (P < 0.05) correlation coefficients were found: fiber volume (r = –0.37) and volume % (r = –0.37) of type IIX with loin length; volume % of type IIX with CIE L* (r = 0.40); volume % of types IIX (r = 0.39) and IIB (r = –0.39) with Warner-Bratzler shear force. Although those correlations to loin quality differed from those of CSA-based characteristics, the Z-scores did not show any significance between the 2 correlation coefficients, except for TNF. Therefore, the conventional methodology for muscle fiber characteristics can be used for evaluating the relationship to pork quality; however, the new methodology is more useful in estimating the characteristics of muscle fiber, which is elongated and cylindrical and to correct the underestimated fiber size and composition of type IIB.

This study was performed to compare carcass traits, sensory characteristics, physiochemical composition, and contents of nucleotides, collagen, and free amino acids among quality grades (QG) and to understand the association between QG and above parameters in loin and rump of Korean cattle steer. Loin and rump samples were obtained from 48 Korean cattle steers with each of four QG (QG 1++, 1+, 1, and 2; average 32 months of age). Carcass weight and marbling score (MS) were highest in QG 1++, whereas texture score measured by a meat grader was highest in QG 2. A correlation analysis revealed that MS (r = 0.98; p

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding soybean oil (SO) with varying levels of peroxidation on carcass traits and shelf life of loins. Fifty-six barrows were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 diets containing 10% fresh SO (22.5 °C) or thermally processed SO (45 °C for 288 h, 90 °C for 72 h, or 180 °C for 6 h), each infused with air at a rate of 15 liter/min. Individually housed pigs were provided ad libitum access to feed for 81 d. At 82 d, pigs were slaughtered and hot carcass weight and liver weights were recorded. Carcass characteristics and fresh loin quality were evaluated 1 d postmortem. Loin chops from each carcass were overwrap-packaged and subjected to a 10-d simulated retail display. Daily measurements of L*, a*, b*, reflectance, and visual discoloration were conducted, evaluation of cooking loss and Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) was conducted on chops stored 0, 5, and 10 d, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were evaluated on chops stored 0 and 10 d. Shelf life–related data were analyzed as a completely randomized design with repeated measures in time, with storage location (shelf) as a random effect. Carcasses of 90 °C pigs weighed 6.0, 8.6, and 6.9 kg less (P < 0.03) than 22.5 °C, 45 °C, and 180 °C carcasses, respectively. Livers of 90 °C and 180 °C pigs were 14.3% and 11.7%, respectively, heavier (P ≤ 0.02) than those from pigs fed 22.5 °C SO, with livers of 45 °C being intermediate. Livers of 90 °C pigs represented 0.12 percentage units less (P = 0.02) of ending live weight than livers of 180 °C pigs, and 180 °C livers were 0.12 percentage units less (P < 0.01) of ending live weight than those from pigs fed 22.5 °C SO, with 45 °C being intermediate. There was no difference (P ≥ 0.19) in back fat depth, loin muscle area, or estimated carcass lean percentage among SO treatments, nor was there an effect (P ≥ 0.13) of SO on any early post-mortem loin quality traits or loin composition. There was no effect (P > 0.14) of SO on cooking loss, WBSF, L*, a*, b*, hue angle, reflectance, discoloration, or TBARS; however, there was a tendency (P = 0.09) for chops of 45 °C pigs to have greater (P < 0.04) chroma than either 22.5 °C or 180 °C, with 90 °C being intermediate. Overall, feeding SO cooked at 90 °C for 72 h resulted in reduced carcass weight and dressing percentage; however, there was no evidence that feeding peroxidized SO was detrimental to shelf life of loin chops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate and quantify variation in sensory attributes along the Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle in rabbits. A descriptive analysis was performed by a panel of 8 assessors previously trained in the evaluation of rabbit meat. Reference standards used in training for the evaluation of rabbit meat are also described. Sensory attributes rabbit and liver odour, rabbit and liver flavour, toughness, juiciness and fibrousness were assessed in 56 rabbits from a divergent selection experiment for intramuscular fat (28 slaughtered at 9 wk and 28 slaughtered at 13 wk). Immediately after cooking, loins were cut lengthwise into 4 equidistant pieces from caudal to cranial end (LD1, LD2, LD3 and LD4). Assessors were able to detect and quantify a longitudinal sensory variation in muscle LD. Caudal extreme LD1 was tougher and more fibrous than LD2, LD3 and LD4, and less juicy than LD3 and LD4. The greatest variation was found between caudal and cranial ends, with LD1 being 9% tougher (P=0.99), 11% more fibrous (P=1.00) and 12% less juicy (P=0.99) than LD4. Assessors found few variations along LD muscle in flavour and odour attributes. Location LD3 showed 9% greater rabbit odour (P=0.99) and flavour (P=0.97) than LD4, and 8% greater rabbit odour than LD2 (P=0.97). Our results highlight the importance of randomisation within muscle location in sensory studies on rabbit LD muscle, as there is considerable sensory variation along this muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of gender on the proportional representation of different types of muscle fibres and their selected characteristics. The experiment was carried out with the use of 72 crossbred pigs of final TOPIGS hybrid combination with balanced gender ratio (24 boars/24 gilts/24 barrows) at an average live weight of 22.5 kg. The average slaughter weight of the animals was 108.7 kg. In order to determine the quantitative (number) and qualitative (area, diameter, length) characteristics of the muscle fibre, samples were obtained from the loin carcass part, specifically the muscle musculus longissimus lumborum et thoracis (MLLT). These samples were used for the manufacture and evaluation of permanent histological slides. There were negative correlations found between the number of muscle fibres and their size. Gilts had the highest number of muscle fibres (208.55) per measured surface (1 mm2) and simultaneously the smallest diameter (66.31 m) of muscle fibres in comparison with boars and barrows. Statistically significant (P

Consumers are more interested in having healthier and better quality products. The diet offered to animals can strongly affect the composition of meat. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of different levels of concentrate on lipid profile (in natura meat) and cholesterol content (in natura and cooked meat) of ewe lambs’ meat cuts. Therefore, twenty-four lambs with a mean weight of 23.1 ± 2.1 kg were confined and fed different levels of a concentrate (20, 40, 60 and 80%) for 120 days. The diets consisted of tifton hay and concentrate based on corn and soybean meal. The muscles triceps brachii (shoulder), longissimus dorsi (loin) and semimembranosus (leg) represented the respective cuts that were analyzed. Increased levels of concentrate decreased only C18:3 (5.82 to 0.20 mg/100 g) in meat and without affecting saturated fatty acids (SFA), unsaturated (UFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), polyunsaturated (PUFA), both desirable and total levels. Levels of concentrate had no effect on UFA/SFA (1.01), MUFA/SFA (0.97), PUFA/SFA (0.04) ratios, or the atherogenic (AI) and thrombogenic index (TI), nor on the content cholesterol in natura and cooked meat. The meat cuts had different lipid profiles, IA, IT and cholesterol content. Concentrate levels slightly alter the lipid profile and do not alter the cholesterol content, while meat cuts are different for these components.

Twenty-four female lambs of the Pantaneiro genetic group, with approximately 100 days of age, average body of 16.24 ± 1.78 kg, were slaughtered with 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 mmof subcutaneous fat thickness, measured by ultrasound in the Longissimus, to evaluate the allometric growth. Lambs fed a complete pelleted diet calculated to ensure a daily weight gain of0.30 kg. Slaughtering was performed as the female lambs reached the pre-established fat thickness. After 24 hours in a cold chamber at 4ºC, chilled carcasses were cut in half and weighed. The right side was separated into five sections to determine the allometry of carcasses and cuts. Neck and rib showed isogonic growth in all treatments. Loin has remained late growth to 2.0 and3.0 mm. Shoulder and leg were isogonic growth in the treatments 3.0 and4.0 mm. The leg in relation to half carcass showed the greatest correlation. The cuts exhibited differentiated development in the growth rates of tissues. It is recommended to slaughter female lambs when they reach3.0 mm of subcutaneous fat thickness, since the carcass has already reached physiological maturity. Shoulder and leg cuts are best suited for dissection for presenting the highest correlation with the carcass in females of the Pantaneiro group.