Influence of Increasing Carcass Weights on Pork Carcass Characteristics and Traditional and Alternative Fabrication Yields

The objective was to characterize the effects of increasing carcass weight on pork carcass characteristics and yields from traditional and alternative fabrication methods, as well as evaluate the size of novel retail cuts. Pigs (n = 85) were slaughtered and divided into 3 hot carcass weight (HCW) categories: Average (99 to 109 kg), Heavy (116 to 126 kg), and Very Heavy (134 to 144 kg). Loin muscle area (LMA) and back fat depth were measured on all carcasses. Paired right and left sides were fabricated traditionally and alternatively (shoulder separation at the 4(th)/5(th) rib), respectively. From the alternative side, the serratus ventralis (SV) was removed from the cellar-trimmed butt, and the triceps brachii (TB) was removed from the picnic shoulder. All individual primals and subprimals were weighed for yield calculations. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure in SAS including the main effect of weight class, with sex and sire line as fixed blocking effects. Differences were considered significant at P <= 0.05. Regardless of fabrication method, whole primal and subprimal weights increased (P < 0.01) in heavier carcass weight classes compared with lighter classes, but when expressed as a percentage of chilled side weight, these increases did not often translate into meaningful differences in distribution of carcass weight. While the alternative shoulder-loin separation reduced loin and belly length, loins and bellies from heavier carcasses weighed more than those from carcasses typically produced in the U.S. pork industry today. Serratus ventralis weight was increased (P < 0.01) approximately 0.28 kg from Average to Very Heavy, while the TB weight was increased (P < 0.01) approximately 0.24 kg from Average to Very Heavy. At heavier weights, alternative fabrication of carcasses yielded novel cuts from the shoulder including the SV and TB that were of size to warrant further exploration as retail offerings.