Meat Quality
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Visual appeal is important in attracting consumers to buy pork. Eating quality helps determine the level of repeat purchases – if pork is tough the frequency of purchase is likely to be reduced. BPEX has funded considerable research on the eating quality of pork. and has sought to clarify the role of on-farm factors on quality.
Growth rate and meat quality
This study is investigating how variability in growth rate from birth to slaughter affects carcase measurements and final eating quality and whether these effects are the same for boars and gilts. Growth up to two different slaughter weights (90 and 110 kg) is being studied. In addition, the effects of severe growth checks due to illness are being investigated for both sexes. This experiment will address industry concerns that increasing carcase weights combined with the use of boars may result in a higher incidence of boar taint.
More information can be found here.
Finishing System Research Programme
Meat quality measurements are often included in production research to ensure no damaging effects on meat quality are inadvertently induced. A good example is the finishing system research programme, in which no effects on meat eating quality of feeding or housing system were observed.
Factors Affecting Killing-Out Percent
Killing-out percent (KO%), also known as dressing percent, is important to pig producers since it determines how much saleable carcase weight is obtained from the live pig weight.
KO% is expressed as the weight of the carcase in relation to the weight of the live pig immediately before slaughter. The most valuable part of the pig is the meat contained in the carcase. Producers are therefore paid on the weight of the carcase and an assessment of its leanness, rather than the weight of the live animal. Normally, the KO% ranges from 72-80%. In the UK, the average reported KO% value in the last decade was 75-76%.
The following documents outline the pre-abattoir factors which can cause variation in killing out percent, including factors to consider when comparing killing-out values and how can these factors be optimised.