Effects of Pork Quality Types, Packaging, and Degree of Doneness on Trained Sensory and Instrumental Tenderness, Color, and Consumer Perception

Andrew M Cassens,Gretchen G Mafi,Deborah L Vanoverbeke,Ranjith Ramanathan

doi:10.22175/mmb.11598

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the palatability and retail display differences of 3 types of pork loins. Enhanced (n = 10), nonenhanced (n = 10), and high-quality (n = 10) pork loins were selected from a commercial food distribution company. Loins were cut into 2.54-cm-thick chops and randomly assigned to retail display, sensory, or Warner-Bratzler shear force analyses. For retail display, chops were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 packaging treatments: polyvinyl chloride overwrap, carbon monoxide-modified atmosphere packaging, and high-oxygen modified atmospheric packaging. Instrumental and visual color measurements were taken during 5 d of retail display. For trained sensory panel and Warner-Bratzler shear force analyses, chops were evaluated at 3 different degrees of doneness (63°C, 68°C, and 74°C). Consumer sensory panelists (N = 50) evaluated the overall liking, flavor, juiciness, and tenderness of chops cooked to 68°C. A treatment × packaging interaction (P &lt; 0.05) occurred for L* and a* values. High-quality chops packaged in polyvinyl chloride overwrap were lighter in color (P &lt; 0.05) compared with other treatment and packaging types. However, high- quality chops had lower (P &lt; 0.05) a* values than other treatment and packaging types during retail display. Trained panelists reported no difference (P &gt; 0.05) in tenderness for enhanced chops when cooked at 3 different degrees of doneness. Consumer panelists preferred the enhanced chops for overall liking, tenderness, and juiciness (P &lt; 0.05) compared with high-quality and nonenhanced chops. The results suggest that enhanced, nonenhanced, and high-quality pork loins avail- able in the market vary in color and marbling. Both pork loin type and packaging can influence display color and palatability.

Highlights

Pork ranked highest (40.1%) in the world meat and poultry consumption shares over poultry, beef, and mutton/goat (NPB, 2019)
Understanding commercially available pork products is important for the industry to give consumers a positive eating experience
These results show that enhanced, nonenhanced, and high-quality pork loins have different marbling and color parameters at retail that affect cooked product attributes

Summary

Introduction

Pork ranked highest (40.1%) in the world meat and poultry consumption shares over poultry, beef, and mutton/goat (NPB, 2019). PH, water-holding capacity, marbling, and tenderness are important attributes commonly associated with pork quality. Each of these factors, together or separately, has an effect on the cooked product’s sensory characteristics, including tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. Pork color is a key quality factor that can influence the palatability of a product (Richardson et al, 2018). Meat color at the point of purchase is an indicator of freshness and anticipated palatability for pork (Brewer et al, 2002; Richardson et al, 2018).

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