OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF PORK QUALITY

Several objective methods for estimating pork quality were studied: internal light scattering (FOP), electrical conductivity (EC), pH, colour, water holding capacity (WHC), soluble proteins (SP), pigment content, intramuscular fat (i.m. fat), and moisture. The measurements were made on the Semimembranosus and Longissimus thoracis at 45 min and 24 h post mortem in some cases and on the Semimembranosus in others. Most of the measurements are significantly different between normal, PSE and DFD quality categories. There is a good correlation between pH values in both muscles: pH45SM-pH45LT (r=0.74) and pH24SM-pH24LT (r=0.71). At 45 min the correlation of EC with FOP and pH was r=0.56 and r=-0.48 respectively. Lower correlations were found in other parameters. The results from principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the three first components explained 60.3% of the total variation and the most important variables for the first PC were pH45 and EC45.