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Table of Contents - March 2009 - Volume 3, Issue 03  

Full Paper

Developmental changes of carcass composition, meat quality and organs in the Jinhua pig and Landrace

Z.-G. Miaoa1a2, L.-J. Wanga1, Z.-R. Xua1 c1, J.-F. Huanga3 and Y.-R. Wanga2

a1 Key Laboratory for Molecular Animal Nutrition of Ministry of Education, Institute of Feed Science, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University (Huajiachi Campus) Qiutao North Road 164, Hangzhou 310029, PR China

a2 College of Animal Science, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, XinXiang 453003, China

a3 Department of Animal Medicine, Agriculture College of Yanbian University, LongJing 133400, China

Abstract

The present study was aimed to compare the developmental changes of carcass composition, meat quality characteristics and organ weight in pigs of different breeds. Six pigs (sex balance) of each breed were slaughtered at 35, 80 and 125 days of age, respectively. The carcass was chilled and the left carcass side was dissected into bone, lean meat, fat and skin; additionally, organ weight and meat quality parameters were observed. Carcasses of the Jinhua pig were lighter (P < 0.001), contained less lean meat percentage (P < 0.01) and more carcass fat percentage (P < 0.05) than did carcasses of the Landrace. L*-values were lower in Jinhua pigs than in Landrace at 125 days of age (P < 0.05), but the Jinhua pig had higher a*-values compared with Landrace at the age of 80 days (P < 0.01) and 125 days (P < 0.01), respectively. In addition, Jinhua pigs showed lower colour scores (P < 0.05), higher intramuscular fat (IMF) percentage (P < 0.05), less marbling scores (P < 0.05) and lower drip loss (P < 0.05) than Landrace. For organ weight, Jinhua pigs had higher relative heart weight at the age of 80 days (P < 0.05) and 125 days (P < 0.001), and higher relative liver weight at 125 days of age (P < 0.01) than that of Landrace. In addition, the relative kidney weight was heavier (P < 0.001) in the Jinhua pig than in the Landrace during the whole experiment. These results indicated that developmental changes of carcass composition, meat quality parameters and organ weight displayed breed differences. Jinhua pigs were fatter than Landrace but the former had better quality characteristics in the meat.

(Received December 07 2007)

(Accepted August 04 2008)

Keywords

Correspondence:

c1 E-mail: miaobohan2005@yahoo.com.cn