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Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Meat quality and chemical assessment of porcine longissimus dorsi within different muscle pH

D. R. Kang A * , S. A. Belal A * , E. S. R. Cho A , H. N. Kang A , J. H. Jung B , Y. I. Choi C , Y. C. Jung B , C. S. Na A , K. D. Song A , H. K. Lee A , H. S. Choe A D and K. S. Shim A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Animal Biotechnology, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju-si 54896, Republic of Korea.

B Jung P&C Institute, Yongin-si 446-982, Republic of Korea.

C Department of Animal Biotechnology, Chungbuk National University, Yongin-si 446-982, Republic of Korea.

D Corresponding author. Email: ksshim@jbnu.ac.kr; hschoe55@hanmail.net

Animal Production Science 59(6) 1155-1160 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN18030
Submitted: 18 August 2016  Accepted: 28 June 2018   Published: 27 August 2018

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the influence of pH on the Berkshire’s pork longissimus dorsi muscle, by comparing physicochemical characteristics in a high pH group (5.92 ± 0.02) and a low pH group (5.55 ± 0.03) on the basis of muscle pH24 h post-mortem. Fifteen pigs were assigned to each group (n = 15). The low pH group showed higher filter-paper fluid uptake, cooking loss and National Pork Producers Council marbling scores but did not significantly differ from the high pH group (P > 0.05). The low pH group also showed higher Commission International de l’Eclairage L* and b*, drip loss, and shearing forces were significantly different from the high pH group. However, Commission International de l’Eclairage meat colour value (a*) and National Pork Producers Council colour were higher in the high pH group. The content of glutamic acid, threonine, and serine amino acids associated with a good flavour was higher in the high pH group. Also, amino acids associated with a bitter or poor flavour, such as valine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, and histidine, was higher in the high pH group as well. The taste of umami was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in the high pH group. Levels of the nucleotide compounds hypoxanthine and inosine tended to be higher (P < 0.05) in the high pH group, whereas adenosine diphosphate levels were increased in the low pH group (P < 0.05). It is concluded that pH of pork could be a good indicator of pork quality and related to factors influencing pork eating quality. As pH of pork is not only positively associated with physical traits of pork but also closely related to chemical traits of which higher free amino acids and nucleotides enhance pork quality.

Additional keywords: Berkshire, chemical composition, meat quality, pork quality.


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