• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.211-222
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• 2011

The present review was aimed to assess the feasibility of increasing the slaughter weight (SW) of finishing pigs. Growth performance, including ADG, ADFI and gain:feed, does not change significantly with increasing SW between 110 and $135{\pm}5kg$ in lean-genotype pigs, whereas in non-lean pigs, ADG and gain:feed decrease with increasing SW within the similar range of BW. Backfat thickness (BFT) and marbling of the carcass, which are greater in barrows than in gilts, increase with the increase of SW. The SW could be increased by using a low-energy diet and thereby reducing the rate of fat deposition per weight gain. The yield of the belly increases with the increase of SW, which may be economically significant in Korea. However, yields of some other primal cuts do not change so much as to affect the carcass value. The redness and fat content of the muscle increase slightly with the increase of SW whereas moisture content is minimally influenced by SW. Muscular protein content rarely changes, but sometimes increases slightly, with increasing SW. Other physicochemical characteristics, including lightness, pH, drip loss, and cooking loss of the muscle, are barely influenced by SW. Marbling of fresh loin and ham increases with increasing SW. Sensory characteristics of fresh loin, ham, and belly, including color, aroma, off-flavor, drip, and acceptability, are not influenced significantly by SW. The eating quality of cooked pork also has almost no relation to SW. In conclusion, it is thought that the current SW for moderately lean barrows and gilts can be raised up to 125 and 135 kg, respectively, with BFT at these weights predicted to be approximately 24 mm near the last rib, without compromising the meat quality.

• ANNALS OF ANIMAL RESOURCE SCIENCES
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.172-182
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• 2018

The present study was undertaken to examine if the carcass and pork quality of finishing pigs reared on a low plane of nutrition (LPN) could be improved compared with that of the pigs finished on a high plane of nutrition (HPN). Sixty-eight crossbred (LYD) barrows and 68 LYD gilts weighing approximately 50 kg were fed a diet containing 3.54 Mcal DE/kg with 1.00% lysine (HPN) or 3.02 Mcal DE/kg with 0.68% lysine (LPN) in eight pens up to approximately 120 kg and slaughtered. The belly, loin, ham, and Boston butt were cut out from a total of 20 carcasses, after which physicochemical and sensory quality attributes of the belly and the representative muscle of each of the loin, ham, and Boston butt were evaluated. The ADG, gain:feed ratio, and backfat thickness were less for LPN than for HPN (p<0.05). The cooking loss, hardness, and chewiness values for the Boston butt were less for LPN vs. HPN. In sensory evaluation for fresh meat (muscle), the subjective quality scores were greater for LPN vs. HPN in color, marbling, and acceptability for the loin, the muscle:fat balance score for the belly tending to be greater for LPN (p<0.10). In addition, LPN was superior to HPN in the flavor and juiciness in sensory evaluation for cooked ham. In conclusion, the present results suggest that the carcass and pork quality of finishing pigs could be improved with reduced growth performance by using LPN.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.344-348
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• 2001

This study was carried out to examine the effect of vitamin E additive supplements on the meat quality of finishing pigs. Two treatments were provided as commercial diet and commercial diet +vitamin E 200 IU. Dressing percent and carcass length were not different between treatments. Longissimus muscle color and longissimus muscle firmness were a significant differences between two treatments(P<0.05). However, longissimus muscle marbling. longissimus muscle loin area and back fat thickness were not significantly differences. Water holding capacity was increased along the level supplement of vitamin E increased(P<0.05). However. there were not differences on shear force, thawing loss, and cooking loss between treatments. L*, a*, b* and TBARS value were not different between treatments. In conclusion. longissimus muscle color and water holding capacity were affected by vitamin E supplement.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.217-223
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• 2006

Fifty castrated crossbred ($Landrace{\times}Yorkshire$) pigs, weighing an average of $60.6{\pm}3.1kg$ were allotted to one of five treatments in a randomized block design to examine the effects of dietary inclusion of 0.1% L-carnitine (50 ppm carnitine), 0.1% selenium-enriched yeast (0.3 ppm selenium), 0.1% Jujube fruit or 0.1% Hwangto (Red clay) on pig performance and carcass quality. All diets were based on corn, wheat, soybean meal and wheat bran and were formulated to supply 13.8 MJ DE/kg. Dietary supplementation did not influence daily gain (p = 0.57), feed intake (p = 0.52), or feed conversion (p = 0.32). Digestibility of dry matter (p = 0.60), organic matter (p = 0.74), crude protein (p = 0.76), crude fibre (p = 0.70) and energy (p = 0.75) were also unaffected by inclusion of any of the additives. Tissue samples taken from the longissimus muscle showed that the levels of carnitine (p = 0.0001) and selenium (p = 0.0001) were significantly higher with dietary inclusion of carnitine or selenium-enriched yeast. Dietary treatment did not affect dressing percentage (p = 0.33), carcass lean yield (p = 0.99) or first, $10^{th}$ and last rib midline backfat depth (p = 0.45, 0.82 and 0.47, respectively). Dietary treatment also did not affect the percentages of tenderloin (p = 0.37), bacon (p = 0.36), fat and bone (p = 0.56), picnic shoulder (p = 0.25), skirt (p = 0.80), fresh ham (p = 0.31) or ribs (p = 0.79). However, pigs fed the diet containing Jujube fruit had a higher percentage of Boston butt than pigs fed the carnitine or selenium supplemented diets (p = 0.01). Pigs fed added Hwangto had a higher (p = 0.04) percentage of loin compared with pigs fed supplementary selenium or Jujube fruit. Loin muscle from pigs fed carnitine had a significantly lower Hunter colour value for L (whiteness, p = 0.004) and a higher value for $a^*$ (redness; p = 0.069). The overall results indicate that supplementation with L-carnitine and selenium-enriched yeast can produce pork containing higher levels of carnitine and selenium, which could provide health benefits for consumers of pork without detrimental effects on pig performance.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.821-832
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• 2004

A total of 80 pigs were used to investigate the effect of dietary glycine betaine(N,N,N-trimethylglycine) on pork quality during cold storage. About 70 kg pigs were randomly a1loted into one of four experimental diet groups(0%, 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6% glycine betaine). Pigs were slaughtered at approximately 110 kg live weight, and pH, color(CIE $L^* a^* b^*$), shear force, sarcomere length, lipid oxidation and composition of fatty acid were measured in pork loin for 13 days of cold storage. The concentration of glycine betaine in pork loin was significantly increased(P<0.05) with increasing of glycine betaine level in diet. Pork loins from dietary betaine groups showed significantly higher muscle pH and lower CIE $b^*$ values compared to control group after 13 days of storage. There were significant differences in shear force values among pork loins from diet groups at 24 hrs postmortem. However, pork loins from control diet showed longer sarcomere length than those of dietary betaine groups. Dietary glycine betaine increased the ratio of saturated fatty acids and decreased unsaturated fatty acids in pork loins. Especially the ratios of linoleic and myristic acid were decreased with increasing dietary betaine level. However, dietary glycine betaine did not affect lipid oxidation (TSARS) and sensory evaluation during cold storage.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1061-1065
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• 2015

Data collected from 690 purebred Duroc pigs from 2009 to 2012 were used to estimate the heritability, and genetic and phenotypic correlations between production and meat quality traits. Variance components were obtained through the restricted maximum likelihood procedure using Wombat and SAS version 9.0. Animals were raised under the same management in five different breeding farms. The average daily gain, loin muscle area (LMA), backfat thickness (BF), and lean percent (LP) were measured as production traits. Meat quality traits included pH, cooking loss, lightness ($L^*$), redness ($a^*$), yellowness ($b^*$), marbling score (MS), moisture content (MC), water holding capacity (WHC), and shear force. The results showed that the heritability estimates for meat quality traits varied largely from 0.19 to 0.79. Production traits were moderate to highly heritable from 0.41 to 0.73. Genotypically, the BF was positively correlated (p<0.05) with MC (0.786), WHC (0.904), and pH (0.328) but negatively correlated with shear force (-0.533). The results of genetic correlations indicated that selection for less BF could decrease pH, moisture content, and WHC and increase the shear force of meat. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was recorded between average daily gain and WHC, which indicates pork from faster-growing animals has higher WHC. Furthermore, selection for larger LMA and LP could increase MS and lightness color of meat. The meat quality and production traits could be improved simultaneously if desired. Hence, to avoid further deterioration of pork characteristics, appropriate selection of traits should be considered.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.209-215
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• 2004

In a trial involving 120 pigs, the growth performance of finishing pigs and proximate composition, physicochemical properites and fatty acid composition of loin muscle were investigated by feeding the high-energy density diet and low-energy density diet. The treatments included feeding 1) the low-energy density diet (3,290 cal/kg DE, 14.50% CP, 0.70% lysine and 0.78% Ca) for 38 days and 2) the hight-energy density diet (3,350 cal/kg ME, 15.0% CP, 0.70% lysine and 0.78% Ca) for 27 days. The average daily gains were significantly higher for pigs fed the high-energy density diet than those fed the low-energy density diet, but average daily feed intake and feed conversion rate were significantly lower than those fed the low-energy density diet (p<0.05). The cooking loss and yellowness of pork were significantly (p<0.05) lower for pigs fed the low-energy density diet than those fed the high-energy density diet. There were no significant differences in carcass characteristics, proximate composition and fatty acid composition of pork. In conclusion, the results of the experiment suggested that the high-energy density diet for pigs tended to improve the growth performance, but the cooking loss and yellowness of pork were higher for pigs fed the high-energy density diet than those fed the low-energy density diet.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.1475-1481
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• 2019

Objective: The objective of the present study was to investigate pork quality from Hereford${\times}$Berkshire female and intact male pigs reared outdoors in an alternative production system. Methods: Berkshire purebred sows were artificially inseminated, once in the fall and again in the spring of the following year, with semen from Hereford boars and managed free of antibiotics in an outdoor hoop structure until the last month of pregnancy, after which they were moved to a pasture-based unit of 0.8 hectares with individual lots with a farrowing hut, shade, and water ad libitum. Piglets were weaned at 4 weeks of age and housed in a deep-bedded hoop structure, grouped by sex. Animals were harvested at market weight of 125 kg, approximately 200 days of age. Hot carcass weight was collected at the time of the harvest. After 24 hours of refrigeration, carcass characteristics were measured. Longissimus dorsi samples collected from the right side loin. Loins were cut into 2.54-cm thick chops and were used to measure marbling score, color score, drip loss, and ultimate pH. Sensory panel tests were conducted as well at North Carolina State University. For pork characteristics and sensory panel data, trial and sex were included in the statistical model as fixed effects. Hot carcass weight was included in the model as a covariate for backfat thickness. Results: Neither the subjective nor the objective color scores displayed any differences between the boars and the gilts. No difference was found for pH and marbling score between trials or sexes. Gilts had a thicker backfat measurement at the last lumbar and a narrower longissimus muscle area measurement when compared to the boars. The only difference in the sensory characteristics was found between the trials for texture and moisture scores. Conclusion: Consumers were not able to detect boar taint under the condition of this study, which is that the intact males were reared outdoors. Additional trials would be necessary; however, based on the results of the present study, outdoor rearing can be suggested as a solution to the issue of boar taint.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.121-128
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• 2007

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of different water temperatures and time of spray-washing on the removal of bacteria contamination from surface of pork carcass and to obtain better meat quality with high temperature stream between 60 to 90℃ for the time ranged from 10 to 60 sec. Results showed that total plate counts were significantly decreased with increasing steam temperature(P<0.05). Similar results were found with the spray time(P<0.05). The lightness(CIE L*) value was significantly increased in both loin and ham cuts over 80℃(P<0.05). Ultimate pH of muscle and water-holding capacity were decreased with increasing steam temperature(P<0.05). There was a significant difference in solubility of sarcoplasmic protein between 70℃ and 80℃ of the steam treatments with higher value at 70℃(P<0.05). Again, longer than 30 sec spray at 70℃ steam, the lightness value of pork was significantly increased(P<0.05), while pH and water-holding capacity of muscle were significantly decreased(P<0.05). Therefore, a desirable pork quality would be achieved with spray-steam washing at 70℃ for 20 sec on pork carcass.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.426-430
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of gender on sensory scores, fatty acid and amino acid of Berkshire pork A total of 40 pigs (60 kg) were divided into 2 group (gilt and barrow) and raised up to 110 kg live weight. Pigs were conventionally slaughtered, and then chilled overnight. Pork loin (longissimus dorsi) muscle was removed from each left side and meat qualities were evaluated. The results obtained were as follows; In sensory evaluation, color, marbling score, aroma and overall acceptability of brrow groups were significantly higher than that of gilt groups (p<0.05). In fatty acid analysis, linoleic acid and arachidonic acid of gilt groups were higher than those of barrow groups, EFA (essential fatty acid) and UFA (unsaturated fatty acid) were lower in barrow groups compared to the gilt groups. In amino acid compositions, alanine, tyrosine and arginine of barrow groups were significantly higher and threonine, proline and histidine lower than those of gilt groups (p<0.05).