Abstract
Simple SummaryDue to welfare issues, the physical castration of male pigs is decreasing, and the entire male pig production is increasing. Fattening entire male pigs requires control due to the possibility of accumulating off odour/flavour called boar taint, which is mainly due to two compounds - skatole and androstenone. If carcasses with boar taint reach the market, it can cause a negative consumer reaction which may have economic consequences for the whole meat chain. Thus, it is necessary to sort out carcasses at the slaughter line. Today, a sensory quality control (human nose method) is used in some slaughter plants for this purpose. Detection by physical or chemical methods is also envisaged. A colorimetric method to determine skatole has been used in Danish abattoirs for decades, but it is foreseen that it will soon be replaced by the laser diode thermal desorption ion source coupled with a mass spectrometry equipment that allows a fully automated classification based on skatole and androstenone levels at speed line, with a delay of less than 40 min. Other potential methods such as the electrochemical biosensors, rapid evaporative ionization mass spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, still need further development and validation for an application at abattoir level.Classification of carcasses at the slaughter line allows an optimisation of its processing and differentiated payment to producers. Boar taint is a quality characteristic that is evaluated in some slaughter plants. This odour and flavour is mostly present in entire males and perceived generally by sensitive consumers as unpleasant. In the present work, the methodologies currently used in slaughter plants for boar taint classification (colorimetric method and sensory quality control-human nose) and the methodologies that have the potential to be implemented on/at the slaughter line (mass spectrometry, Raman and biosensors) have been summarized. Their main characteristics are presented and an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) has been carried out. From this, we can conclude that, apart from human nose, the technology that arises as very promising and available on the market, and that will probably become a substitute for the colorimetric method, is the tandem between the laser diode thermal desorption ion source and the mass spectrometry (LDTD-MS/MS) with automation of the sampling and sample pre-treatment, because it is able to work at the slaughter line, is fast and robust, and measures both androstenone and skatole.
Highlights
Classification of pig carcasses and pork meat at the slaughter line allow both for an optimisation of its processing and for a transparent payment to producers
The aim of this paper is to review the methods that are already used or currently feasible for on/at line determination of boar taint in pig carcasses, to evaluate their characteristics and performance and to determine their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis)
A sensory quality control of boar taint performed by by sensitive and trained assessors control of boar taint performed sensitive and trained assessors on/at line is known as human nose methodology
Summary
Classification of pig carcasses and pork meat at the slaughter line allow both for an optimisation of its processing and for a transparent payment to producers. For these purposes, carcass grading is carried out in most countries using several types of devices, either manual, semi-automatic or fully automatic, based on a ruler, ultrasounds, reflectance, vision, electromagnetism or impedance [1,2,3]. The lean yield, together with the carcass weight, can be used to establish the price of the carcasses [1,4] and to steer production in order to obtain carcasses with the desired characteristics Some of these devices, as well as others used in the cutting plant, are mainly based on vision or X-ray
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