Effect of hot carcass weight and anatomical carcass location on postmortem temperature and meat quality

The U.S. pork industry has experienced a steady increase in pork hot carcass weights over the past 26 years causing concerns about compromised chilling and its impact on meat quality. The objective was to determine the effect of hot carcass weight and anatomical carcass location on postmortem muscle temperature and its relationship to meat quality. Carcasses (N=71) were divided into three categories based on hot carcass weight (HCW): Average (99-101 kg), Heavy (116-126 kg), and Very Heavy (134-144 kg). Temperature data were collected for the ham (semimembranosus), loin (longissimus dorsi), and shoulder (latissimus dorsi) for all carcasses from 1h to 22h postmortem. The next day, pH, visual color, and instrumental color of longissimus dorsi (LD), serratus ventralis (SV), triceps brachii (TB), semitendinosus (ST), and semimembranosus (SM) were determined. Additionally, boneless loin chops were used to determine drip loss, proximate composition, and Warner-Bratzler shear force (cooked to 63℃ and 71℃). The effect of HCW, location, and their interaction was analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Relationships between quality traits and postmortem muscle temperature were determined using the CORR procedure of SAS. Very Heavy carcasses were warmer than Heavy carcasses (P<0.04) and Average (P<0.02) carcasses from 10h to 22h. From 16h to 22h, Heavy carcasses were warmer (P≤0.04) than Average carcasses. Hams were warmer (P<0.001) than shoulders from 1h to 22h postmortem and warmer (P<0.001) than loins from 2h to 22h postmortem. Shoulders were warmer (P<0.003) than loins from 4h to 22h postmortem. Carcass weight categories did not affect pH or color of loins, SM, TB, or SV (P≥0.08) and did not alter Warner-Bratzler shear force for the boneless loins at either degree of doneness (P≥0.33). Loin temperature was weakly correlated with loin pH from 19h to 22h postmortem (r=0.23 to 0.31, P≤0.05) and with drip loss from 18h to 21h postmortem (r=-0.26 to -0.29, P≤0.04). Warner-Bratzler shear force at both degree of doneness was not correlated (P≥0.05) with temperature from 1h to 22h postmortem. Overall, these results suggest that increasing HCW decreases chilling rate but did not result in negative effects on the quality of the loin, shoulder, or ham.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Animal Sciences

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Richey, Kaitlin

Contributors dc:contributor

• Harsh, Bailey
• Dilger, Anna
• Boler, Dustin

• Pork
• Heavy Weight Pigs
• Temperature Decline
• Meat Quality

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Kaitlin Richey

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121538

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F121538