The influence of pre-slaughter transport and lairage on meat quality in pigs of two genotypes

Abstract

ABSTRACTTwo hundred and thirty-nine pigs reared at the Meat and Livestock Commission's Stotfold Pig Development Unit and derived from the four major breeding companies in the UK were slaughtered at 63 kg live weight in an experiment which examined the effect of genotype (Meat-line or White-line), pre-slaughter transport time (1 or 4 h) and lairage time (2 or 21 h) on carcass and meat quality. The pre-slaughter handling was chosen to simulate good commercial procedures and cover the range of transport and lairage times probably experienced by a large proportion of British slaughter pigs. Meatline pigs had higher killing-out proportions and heavier carcasses, with increased cross-sectional area of the m. longissimus dorsi. Backfat thickness was similar in the two genotypes. White-line pigs had heavier livers and produced meat which potentially had a lower incidence of PSE. Longer transport time increased live-weight loss. It reduced carcass yield in the White-line but not in the Meat-line pigs. Transport had no major effects on meat quality. Longer lairage, during which the pigs were fed in compliance with the law, resulted in reduced carcass yield but increased liver weight and allowed some repletion of liver glycogen. It also reduced ultimate pH values in the m. semimembranosus and m. adductor. There were no important or consistent differences in the way pigs of the two genotypes responded to pre-slaughter handling.