Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic values of two methods in pork meat quality evaluation, that is, Method I: pH1 and pH24 and Method II: electrical conductivity (EC 2 ) and pH 24 , which included pH 24 , and their modifications, that is, Method III: pH1 and pH48 and Method IV: EC 2 and pH 48 , which included pH 48 measurement. Five meat quality classes, namely reddish-pink, firm and non-exudative (RFN), high quality (HQ), pale, soft and exudative (PSE), dark, firm and dry (DFD) and acid meat (AM) were assessed in four even-numbered genetic groups of 40 fatteners each, namely (L×Y)×D-A, (L×Y)×D-B, (L×Y)×H and (L×Y)×(D×P). The change of diagnostic method and therefore pH time measurement from 24 hours to 48 hours post mortem caused a major increase in the percentage of acid meat (AM) that was diagnosed. Most differences were observed in (L×Y)×H fatteners, namely 77.5% between Methods I and III and 75% between Methods II and IV. This increase in AM frequency indicates that as a result of significant changes in the post-mortem metabolism that occur in the meat ageing process pH 48 should be regarded as ultimate pH (pHu). Keywords : Acid meat, fatteners, post-mortem muscle metabolism
Highlights
Since the second half of the twentieth century, meat consumption has been increasing worldwide (Valsta et al, 2005) and a further annual increase of 1.4% is expected until 2024 (OECD-FAO, 2015)
According to the low frequency of acid meat (AM) in (L×Y)×H fatteners obtained in Method I and Method II pH
Measured 24 hours post mortem should not be regarded as ultimate pH in pork meat quality evaluation
Summary
Since the second half of the twentieth century, meat consumption has been increasing worldwide (Valsta et al, 2005) and a further annual increase of 1.4% is expected until 2024 (OECD-FAO, 2015). Modern pig breeding has resulted in major changes in the meat ageing process such as the time at which ultimate pH (pHu) is fully achieved (see, inter alia, Zybert et al, 2008). This seems to be an important topic because of the effect of the post-mortem pH decline and extent in meat on its overall quality, among others water holding capacity (WHC) (Schäfer et al, 2002), drip loss (Fischer, 2007), protein structure (Huff-Lonergan & Lonergan, 2005) and shelf-life (Blixt & Borch, 2002). Diagnostic methods of assessing pork meat quality use parameters that are measured up to 24 hours post mortem (such as pH value) and differentiate between reddish-pink, firm and non-exudative (RFN) meat and faulty meat such as pale, soft and exudative (PSE) and dark, firm and dry (DFD) meat (Koćwin-Podsiadła et al, 2006), because of recent changes in pig genotypes an assessment of acid meat (AM) is required
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