• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1529-1534
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• 2008

The aim of this study was directed at exploring the possible use of muscle fiber characteristics as new selection traits for improving both porcine lean meat production and quality. A total of 174 (114 Yorkshire, 30 Landrace, and 30 Meishan) pigs were used for this study, and lean meat production ability was estimated by backfat thickness and loin eye area. The Longissimus dorsi muscle was taken in order to measure meat quality and muscle fiber characteristics. Due to the high correlations between total muscle fiber number and most of the performance traits, all pigs were classified into three groups (low, intermediate, or high) by total muscle fiber number using cluster analysis. The high group had the highest loin eye area (p<0.001). The meat quality traits were within normal ranges as reddish pink, firm, and nonexudative (RFN) pork, but the groups classified as intermediate and high had relatively large drip loss percentages (p<0.05), produced more than twice the amount of pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) pork as compared to the low group. The group with a high total muscle fiber number was further classified, based on type 2b fiber percentage, into low or high groups by cluster analysis. The results showed that the low type 2b fiber group had good loin eye area (p<0.05), small drip loss (p<0.05), and did not produce PSE pork. For these reasons, a high total muscle fiber number, with a low percentage of type 2b fibers, may be suitable in selecting for improvements in both lean meat production and meat quality.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.898-904
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• 2006

Effects of sodium bicarbonate (SBC) injection on meat quality and functionality of porcine M. longissimus lumborum were investigated. Fifteen pigs ($100{\pm}5kg$) were randomly selected at a commercial slaughter plant. After slaughtering the loins were dissected from the carcass before chilling at approximately 30 minutes post mortem. The loins were divided into four cuts for sample treatment, and SBC of 0.25 M, 0.40 M and 0.75 M was injected (2% w/w) using a syringe. As SBC injection level was increased, muscle pH increased significantly (p<0.05). SBC injection decreased lightness ($L^*$) values on the surface of muscle. Moreover, with injection of SBC, drip loss %, cooking loss % and shear force were significantly (p<0.05) decreased, whereas WHC and $Na^+$ content were significantly (p<0.05) increased. From panel testing of uncooked pork loin, no significant differences (p>0.05) were found in aroma, off-flavor and drip between injection of SBC at different levels and the control, although color and acceptability were significantly lower (p<0.05) in control pork loin compare with injection of SBC at 0.75 M. In cooked pork loin from the panel test, aroma, flavour, off-flavour and juiciness were found to be similar (p>0.05) on all treatments, but tenderness and acceptability were significantly higher (p<0.05) with injection of SBC at 0.75 M than for control loin. Myofibrillar protein solubility of muscles treated with SBC was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of the control, although no significant differences (p>0.05) were found in sarcoplasmic protein solubility between the treatments. These results indicated that SBC injection into pre-rigor porcine M. longissimus lumborum could improve ultimate pork quality characteristics such as meat color, water-holding capacity, and could inhibit muscle protein denaturation due to an increase in muscle pH.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.27-31
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• 2011

To differentiate between frozen-thawed and fresh broiler breast fillets, different methods such as optical microscopy and measurement of drip loss, pH, torrymeter and K-value were performed. A total of 10 samples of fresh and frozen-thawed breast fillets were stored in a refrigerator ($4^{\circ}C$) for 5 d. Optical microscopy of the frozen-thawed breast fillets found structural changes caused by ice crystals, which may have significantly increased drip loss compared to fresh breast fillet. The pH and K-value could not be distinguished between the two breast fillets during storage. However, the torrymeter values of the fresh and frozen-thawed breast fillets were significantly different (p<0.05). The results indicate that both optical microscopy and torrymeter measurement can be effective methods for differentiating between fresh and frozen-thawed breast fillets. However, optical microscopy may be difficult to implement in the marketplace since it requires much time and effort. Thus, the determination of the torrymeter value is the easiest and most rapid instrumental method among those tested for the differentiation of frozen-thawed chicken breast fillet from fresh one.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.216-220
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• 2004

To investigate the effect of feeding the fermented food wastes (FFW) on meat quality, twenty pigs produced from four treatments with different mixing rates of FFW [100% concentrate (control), 25% replacement with FFW (25% FFW), 50% replacement with FFW (50% FFW) and 100% fermented food wastes (100% FFW)] were slaughtered. Carcass characteristics were differentiated if FFW replacement rate was higher than 50%. The proximate compositions of hams and loins in control pigs were not different from (p>0.05) those of the FFW replacements, regardless of mixing rate of FFW replacement. Drip loss of pork loin increased (p<0.05) with increased rate of FFW replacement. Hunter color values were affected (p<0.05) by the FFW replacement and storage time, while not significantly changed (p>0.05) when replaced with lower than 25% FFW. With replacing more than 50% FFW, redness values tended to be decreased, while yellowness values increased. Aerobic plate counts (APC) were rapidly increased 12 d for the control and 8 d for FFW replacement, and microbial stability seemed to be lowered when the rate of FFW replacement rate was more than 50%. These results indicated that the replacement of concentrate diets with FFW was still nutritious feedstuffs for pig diet, however, no more than 50% FFW replacement was recommended to have similar effect to those with the control (100% concentrate).

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.674-686
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• 2021

This study aimed to enhance the quality of broiler breast meat by adding pig skin collagen to feed. A total of 50 Ross 308 broilers were classified according to the following feeding regime for two weeks: basal diet (NC), basal diet+0.1% fish collagen (PC), basal diet+0.1% pig skin collagen (T1), basal diet+0.5% pig skin collagen (T2), and basal diet+1.0% pig skin collagen (T3). The moisture content was the highest in the PC group, and the protein content was the lowest in the T1 group (p<0.05). The fat content was higher in the T1 and PC groups, whereas the ash content was higher in the T3 group (p<0.05). Drip loss was the highest in the NC group and the lowest in the T2 group (p<0.05). Lightness was low in groups T2 and T3, redness was low in groups T2 and PC, and yellowness was low in groups T1, T2, and PC (p<0.05). The collagen content of the chicken breast was the highest in the T3 group, and that of the skin was the highest in the T1 group (p<0.05). The texture characteristics of springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness, and hardness were the highest in the T3 group (p<0.05). In conclusion, the supplementation of a broiler diet with pig skin collagen was found to increase the collagen content of the breast meat, indicating the improved quality of the broiler breast meat.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.45-58
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• 2021

This study investigated the dietary effect of total mixed ration (TMR) based on high roughage content on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of Hanwoo steers. Twenty-four Hanwoo steers (average body weight, 195.3±4.7 kg; age, 8.5 mon) were randomly allocated to three experimental groups according to forage and concentrate ratio (DM basis): 25:75 (control), 50:50 (T50), and 70:30 (T70). Productivity in the fattening period and final body weight were significantly higher in the control. Average daily gain and feed conversion ratio were the same among treatments. Serum parameters, cholesterol, blood urea nitrogen, and total protein were higher in the control. Carcass weight was comparable in the control and T50 but feeding more roughage was significantly correlated with a higher intramuscular fat. Shear strength and drip loss were higher while n-6/n-3 was lower in T70 compared to the other groups. However, meat color was not significantly different among treatments. In terms of free amino acid contents, glutamic acid and glycine were higher in the control than T50 and T70. Overall, feeding Hanwoo steers with high forage content TMR had the lowest n-6/n-3 ratio of fatty acid content but highest intramuscular fat, shear strength, and drip loss. High forage content TMR is the best feed for Hanwoo steers that gives more benefits for human health and consumption but also provides the best meat grade and quality, which is important in the beef market in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Society of International Agriculture
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.277-284
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• 2018

Meat quality has always been one of the most important factors that controls the choice of pork consumers and is of great interest in the pig industry. In this study, we identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the enoyl-CoA delta isomerase 2 (ECI2) gene in Berkshire pigs (n = 430) by analyzed the association between the SNP and meat quality traits. The non-synonymous SNP in the ECI2 gene is located at c.608 C > G and resulted in an amino acid change from threonine to serine. Significant associations between the SNP and meat quality traits, such as redness (CIE a), and the $pH_{24hr}$, were revealed in both the dominant and co-dominant models, whereas carcass weight, drip loss, and fat content and moisture content were significantly associated only with the dominant model. In barrow, the SNP was significantly associated with CIE a, drip loss, and $pH_{24hr}$, whereas in gilt, only a significant relationship with moisture content was observed. GG genotype pigs had a higher $pH_{24hr}$ and lower drip loss. Because $pH_{24hr}$ and drip loss are considered the most important meat quality traits, GG genotype pork is high-quality meat compared to that from other genotypes. In conclusion, the SNP in the ECI2 gene is significantly associated with several meat quality traits. These traits and could be as genetic markers in molecular breeding programs for improving meat quality.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.88-97
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• 2023

As livestock consumption in Korea has been gradually increasing, the quality of the final products has been improved to meet this increased demand. In particular, maintaining the water holding capacity (WHC) and minimizing the drip loss during the thawing of frozen meat are of utmost importance. This study investigated the physicochemical properties of frozen pork subjected to thawing under different conditions: at room temperature (20℃, under air), at a low temperature (4℃ refrigerator, under air), under water (20℃, under water in a vacuum bag), under microwave (microwave-thawing, 260 W), and under low-pressure tumbling (20℃, 0.015 bar, tumbling). The shortest thawing time for frozen pork was recorded upon low-pressure tumbling thus indicating a fast heat transfer. The lowest drip loss (0.2%) and highest WHC (94.5%) were also recorded under this condition. A significantly higher drip loss was observed upon microwave- (1.0%) and water-thawing (1.2%), which resulted in the lowest WHC in microwave thawing (87.2%). The highest total count of aerobic bacteria and coliform group were observed upon room temp thawing while the low pressure tumbling and thawing resulted in the lowest aerobic bacteria (1.90 log CFU/g) and coliform (0.78 log CFU/g) count. Consequently, thawing by low pressure tumbling afforded the best food quality.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2016

This study was performed to investigate the role of pH and temperature postmortem, and to demonstrate the importance of these factors in determining meat quality. Postmortem pH_45min (pH at 45 min postmortem or initial pH) via analysis of Pearson’s correlation showed high positive correlation with pH change pH_c24 (pH change from pH_45min to pH_24h postmortem). However, postmortem pH after 24 h (pH_24h or ultimate pH) had a high negative correlation with pH change, pH_c24, CIE L*, and protein content. Initial temperature postmortem (T_1h ) was positively associated with a change in temperature from 45 min to 24 h postmortem (T_c24) and cooking loss, but negatively correlated with water holding capacity. Temperature at 24 h postmortem (T_24h) was negatively associated with T_c24. Collectively, these results indicate that higher initial pH was associated with higher pH_c24, T_1h, and T_c24. However, higher initial pH was associated with a reduction in carcass weight, backfat thickness, CIE a* and b*, water holding capacity, collagen and fat content, drip loss, and cooking loss as well as decreased shear force. In contrast, CIE a* and b*, drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force in higher ultimate pH was showed by a similar pattern to higher initial pH, whereas pH_c24, carcass weight, backfat thickness, water holding capacity, fat content, moisture content, protein content, T_1h, T_24h, and T_c24 were exhibited by completely differential patterns (p<0.05). Therefore, we suggest that initial pH, ultimate pH, and temperatures postmortem are important factors in determining the meat quality of pork.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.1763-1768
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• 2001

The combined effects of low voltage electrical stimulation (ES) and early short-term temperature conditioning on meat quality of Hanwoo beef (Korean native cattle) during storage were investigated. Shear force was influenced by ES and aging. Combination of ES and the $30^{\circ}C$ conditioning resulted in higher myofibril fragmentation index and improved lightness. There was no substantial difference in drip loss among treatments but ES samples showed higher cooking loss than control. Negative effect on shelf-life was not found by early short-term high temperature conditioning. Therefore, the meat quality of Korean native cattle was effectively improved by the combination of ES and the $30^{\circ}C$ conditioning.