Do animal slaughter age and pre-cure freezing have a significant impact on the quality of Iberian dry-cured pork loin?

Alberto Ortiz; Elena González; Susana García-Torres; Paula Gaspar; David Tejerina

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108531

Do animal slaughter age and pre-cure freezing have a significant impact on the quality of Iberian dry-cured pork loin?

Meat Sci. 2021 Sep:179:108531. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108531. Epub 2021 May 1.

Authors

Alberto Ortiz¹, Elena González², Susana García-Torres³, Paula Gaspar², David Tejerina³

Affiliations

¹ Scientific and Technological Research Centre of Extremadura (CICYTEX-La Orden), Meat Quality Area, Junta de Extremadura, Ctra. A-V, Km372, 06187 Guadajira, Badajoz, Spain. Electronic address: alberto.ortiz@juntaex.es.
² Animal Production and Food Science Department, Agricultural Resources Research Institute (INURA), University of Extremadura, Avda. Adolfo Suarez, s/n, 06007 Badajoz, Spain.
³ Scientific and Technological Research Centre of Extremadura (CICYTEX-La Orden), Meat Quality Area, Junta de Extremadura, Ctra. A-V, Km372, 06187 Guadajira, Badajoz, Spain.

PMID: 33962167
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108531

Abstract

The influence of various animal slaughter age and of pre-cure freezing times on the quality traits of dry-cured loins from Iberian × Duroc (IBxD) crossbreed animals was assessed. Three animal batches (n = 15) were selected (IBxD8, IBxD10 and IBxD12) to be slaughtered at the age of 8, 10 and 12 months, respectively. Following slaughter, longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscles were extracted and submitted to curing (T0) or freezing storage during three (T3) or six (T6) months prior to curing. The dry-cured loins from IBxD12 yielded lower intramuscular fat and lightness, a less saturated fatty acid profile and the highest hardness and shear force (P ≤ 0.05). The pre-cure freezing process increased weight loss, saturated fatty acids, lipid oxidation, and most of the textural parameters (P ≤ 0.05). So, both slaughter age and pre-cure freezing should be taken into account in order to obtain quality and productive performance.

Keywords: Commercial fodder; Iberian × Duroc crossbred; Indoor rearing; Pre-frozen dry-cured loins; Seasonality; Slaughter age.

MeSH terms

Age Factors*
Animals
Color
Fatty Acids / analysis
Female
Food Handling / methods
Freezing*
Male
Meat Products / analysis*
Muscle, Skeletal
Shear Strength
Sus scrofa
Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / analysis

Substances

Fatty Acids
Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances