Pig sire type and sex effects on carcass traits, meat quality and physiochemical and sensory characteristics of Serrano dry-cured ham

This study demonstrates that improvements in animal line selection by breeding enterprises exert a strong effect on carcass traits, meat quality and sensory characteristics of Serrano dry-cured ham. A total of 461 pigs from the offspring of a Duroc (DU) times Landrace (LD) sow mated with two DU boar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the science of food and agriculture 2005-08, Vol.85 (11), p.1914
Main Authors: Almudena Soriano, Rafael Quiles, Cristina Mariscal, Antonia Garcia Ruiz
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Breeding of animals
Food science
Hogs
Meat products
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Summary:This study demonstrates that improvements in animal line selection by breeding enterprises exert a strong effect on carcass traits, meat quality and sensory characteristics of Serrano dry-cured ham. A total of 461 pigs from the offspring of a Duroc (DU) times Landrace (LD) sow mated with two DU boars and a DU times Large White (LW) boar from three breeding enterprises were evaluated. The two DU terminal sires were significantly different (P < 0.05) in carcass conformation, backfat thickness, ham and loin yields, raw ham traits, myoglobin concentration and total pigments formed during the curing process; in addition, the two lines provided different percentages of hams (54 vs 91%) with sufficient subcutaneous fat and weight to manufacture dry-cured Serrano hams using a slow ripening process (11 months). The DU times LW sire had the best carcass and ham traits from an economic standpoint and obtained highest scores for sensory characteristics of Serrano ham evaluated by a trained panel test; furthermore, this line provided 84% of total hams suitable for manufacturing Serrano hams by a slow process. When the sex effect was analysed, carcass and ham traits of females were more favourable, but females presented a higher incidence of pale, soft and exudative (PSE) meat and a lower percentage of hams with sufficient subcutaneous fat and weight to produce Serrano hams using a slow ripening process (61% for females and 91% for castrates). On the other hand, castrates provided Serrano hams cured by a slow procedure with better organoleptic characteristics than females. Right and left hams were similar.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0022-5142
1097-0010