Pork quality from pigs fed on low glucosinate rapeseed meal: Influence of level in the diet, sex and ultimate pH

Abstract

AbstractThe appearance and eating quality of pork M. longissimus lumbrum from gilt and castrate pigs fed on diets containing a low glucosinate/low erucic acid rapeseed meal (cv. Tower) were assessed and compared with pork from pigs fed diets containing soya bean meal. At 90 kg liveweight, higher levels of either protein supplement, and therefore higher levels of dietary protein, gave slightly leaner meat. Meat from pigs fed rapeseed meal had more haem pigment and was slightly darker and redder than that from soya bean fed pigs. Differences in the quality of pork from the low glucosinate rapeseed meal and soya bean diets were small. Ratings for texture, juiciness and flavour of the lean varied little between the treatment groups. Suggestions that rapeseed meal as a protein supplement in diets might lead to inferior quality meat were not substantiated. The ultimate pH varied from 5.3 to 7.1 independently of the treatments and provided, for the first time, definitive relationships between pH and eating quality. Toughness and flavour were maximum and juiciness was a minimum after roasting meat of about pH 5.9. The ultimate pH had a larger effect on organoleptic quality than either sex or level of dietary inclusion of rapeseed or soya bean meals.