Ham quality and its relationship to carcass quality I. Ultrasonic and other measurements

Unto Uusisalmi

doi:10.23986/afsci.71791

Abstract

Ham quality and its relationship to carcass quality were studied in Landrace and Yorkshire pigs at the Puistola testing station. The research material was as follows: 1) ultrasonic and other measurements and points evaluation of 236 live pigs in three weight classes, and conventional carcass evaluation of these pigs; 2) ultrasonic and other measurements and points evaluation of 97 live pigs, determinations of the specific weight of the ham, and the dissection results on the left half of the carcass. The subjective points evaluation of ham performed on the live pigs did not correlate with the subjective points evaluation made on the carcasses. Nor did the exterior measurements made on the ham provide sufficient information about the slaughter quality of the ham. By means of stepwise multiple regression analysis, estimations were obtained for the skin + fat and meat + bone components of the most valuable part of the carcass and of the ham. In these estimations the most important were the dissection results and specific weight of the ham and the ultrasonic measurements. The statistically significant effect of the slaughter weight emerged to such an extent that corrections according to slaughter weight were found necessary in the dissection analysis.

Highlights

The research material was as follows: 1) ultrasonic and other measurements and points evaluation of 236 live pigs in three weight classes, and conventional carcass evaluation of these pigs; 2) ultrasonic and other measurements and points evaluation of 97 live pigs, determinations of the specific weight of the ham, and the dissection results on the left half of the carcass
It was established earlier that the points evaluation of the ham made on live pigs in various weight classes hardly correlated with the subjective points evaluation in carcass evaluation
The ham points of the carcass evaluation were obtained from official progeny testing, and the evaluation of the live pigs was carried out by the author together with the director of the Puistola Pig Husbandry Experiment Station or some other member of the staff

Summary

Introduction

The research material was as follows: 1) ultrasonic and other measurements and points evaluation of 236 live pigs in three weight classes, and conventional carcass evaluation of these pigs; 2) ultrasonic and other measurements and points evaluation of 97 live pigs, determinations of the specific weight of the ham, and the dissection results on the left half of the carcass. By means of stepwise multiple regression analysis, estimations were obtained for the skin -f-fat and meat + bone components of the most valuable part of the carcass and of the ham. In these estimations the most important were the dissection results and specific weight of the ham and the ultrasonic measurements. Increasing use has been made of various degrees of cutting and dissection of the ham and the carcass as a means of comparing the results obtained in the above ways and as a direct method of ham evaluation (Blendl 1966 and Partanen 1969). The aim of the present study is to analyse the possibilities of measuring the slaughter quality of the ham 1) on live pigs at various stages of development, and 2) on the carcass; and 3) to compare the methods of measurement as expressions of carcass quality; and 4) to examine the relationship between the ham quality and the carcass quality

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion