Work

Effect of Carcass Chilling Method on the Meat Quality Characteristics of M. Longissimus dorsi from Pig

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This research was conducted to investigate the effect of carcass chilling method on the meat quality characteristics of the porcine longissimus dorsi muscle. Thirty-five heads of castrated pigs were assigned to four groups according to different chilling methods (T1: –15°C for 40 min → –2°C for 15 h 50 min; T2: –25°C for 1 h 30 min → –2°C for 15 h; T3: 4°C for 16 h 30 min; T4: –2°C). After chilling, M. longissimus dorsi was collected from carcasses and utilized for quality measurement. At the end of chilling, the internal temperatures of loin and hind leg in T1, T2, and T4 were below 5°C. Total plate count, coliform, and Staphylococcus spp. of carcass did not differ significantly among chilling methods. Meat pH value and water-holding capacity were higher (p<0.05) in T4 than in T1 and T3. Cooking loss and Warner-Bratzler shear force value were not significantly different among all groups. Regarding meat color, T3 and T4 exhibited lower (p<0.05) b* and h° compared to T1. These findings suggest that chilling at –2°C could be the most suitable method for improving pork quality.

Source: Resources Science Research

DOI: 10.52346/rsr.2025.7.3.126

Authors: Sun Moon Kang, Suk Han Jung, Van Ba Hoa, Dong-Gyun Kim, Pil-Nam Seong

Institutions: Rural Development Administration, National Institute of Animal Science

Language: English

Topic: Meat and Animal Product Quality

Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: National Institute of Animal Science