Post-mortem changes in the colour of pig longissimus dorsi muscle.

Abstract

MANY reports have appeared in the literature during the past decade describing soft, pale and exudative musculature in pig carcases. The condition is called ‘muscle degeneration’5,6 and ‘watery pork’8 in Denmark, ‘la myopathie exsudative depigmentaire du pore’2 in France and ‘white muscle disease’ in Britain3,4. Recently, pale and exudative longissimus dorsi muscle was found in pig carcases in Ireland7. Pathological changes of the type associated with degeneration of muscle in the living animal were not detected in exudative muscles which were examined histologically. Changes in the water-holding properties and in the colour of such muscle became manifest only after the muscle had passed into rigor and were apparently caused by rapid fall in pH. post mortem, observations in accord with the findings of Wismer-Pedersen and Briskey9 and of Bendall and Wismer-Pedersen1.