Carcass and meat quality of heavy pigs.: II.: Characteristics of meat and fat quality

The aim of the 2(nd) part of the study was to present the shifts concerning the meat quality in various important muscles and the fatty acid profile in the backfat associated with a prolonged fattening. In total, 63 male castrates and 60 females (Pietrain-NN *German Landrace) were randomized to three groups with different five weights at slaughter (110, 135, 160 kg). The pH values, measured at different points in time, were not influenced by the five weight class. However, electrical conductivity as well as drip loss traits of the M. longissimus dorsi increased slightly in the upper weight class, whereas the cooking loss declined marginally. With increasing five weight there was in general a small tendency to a darker meat and a clear enhancement of the a* values, based upon higher pigment concentrations. Moreover, the water content diminished slightly, whereas the intramuscular fat content did not rise significantly within the same sex. Compared with 110 kg Eve weight, the collagen content and the percentage of soluble collagen decreased at 160 kg Eve weight whereas shear force values remained unaffected. In the sensory evaluation, pork chops of the 135 kg class received numerically the best and those of the 160 kg the worst ratings, but the differences were small and only exceptionally significant. Considering the fatty acid profile in the course of a prolonged fattening, there is a shift to smaller proportion of polyenic fatty acids in favour of oleic and palmitic acid.