Distribution of tissues in the carcass of Turopolje pig, an autochtonous Croatian breed

Abstract

Carcass composition and distribution of tissues in the carcass of Turopolje pig were established by analysing the share of muscle (M), fat (F) and bone (B) tissue in the carcass and each of this tissues from parts leg, shoulder, loin, neck and belly-rib part (BRP) in the carcass as well as the same tissue in the parts. Investigation was caried out in two groups of fattened pigs at different age and live weight at slaughtering (TI n = 10, age 584 ± 20 days and 81.9 kg ± 6.1 kg; TII n = 9, age 679 ± 20 days and 100.3 kg ± 4.9 kg). Pigs were fattened in the outdoor system of flood forests and marsh meadows biocenosis (Quercus robur and Deschampsietum caespitosae) according to traditional Croatian technology of low input feed (0.5 kg/day/animal). On the slaughter line the animals and carcasses were separetly weighted and cut according to Weniger method and by total dissection. In the groups TI and TII the percentages of muscle (38.2% and 40.5%, respectively) and bone tissue (10.6% and 9.7%, respectively) were significantly different in the carcass, while the share of fat (34.2% and 33.8%, respectively) was not significantly different. In the groups TI and TII the distribution of muscle, fat and bone tissue in the body parts leg, shoulder, loin, neck and belly-rib part (BRP) were estimated.