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The objective of this study was to assess carcass traits' influence on pork eating quality as evaluated by consumers. A total of 1360 pork chops were used, with 824 from the sirloin end and 536 from the butt end of the loin (Longissimuss thoracis et lumborum), to produce 340 packages, each containing four pork chops. Untrained participants received one package of either sirloin or butt chops, being two pork chops from barrows and two from gilts. Participants answered a survey rating the tenderness, juiciness, flavour, and overall acceptability of each chop on an 8-point scale. Correlation analysis was conducted between carcass traits and pork eating quality attributes. For the descriptive analysis, classes (low, medium, and high) for carcass traits, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and cooking loss were created based on our consumer responses dataset for palatability attributes. No significant correlations (P > 0.05) were observed between carcass traits and pork eating quality traits. Tenderness and overall acceptability were negatively correlated (P < 0.05) with cooking loss and WBSF. Loin intramuscular fat (IMF) content showed a weak negative correlation (P < 0.05) with WBSF and cooking loss. Consumers rated chops from the high and medium/high backfat thickness and loin IMF classes slightly higher for tenderness and juiciness, respectively. Additionally, chops from the low and/or medium WBSF and cooking loss classes received slightly higher scores for tenderness and juiciness than pork chops in the high classes. In conclusion, the study indicated that carcass traits had minimal impact on overall acceptability of pork by consumers., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no competing of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

From a population of 351 pork carcasses, 3.0-cm thick chops from the 10th rib location of the longissimus thoracis, faced surfaces of the triceps brachii and serratus ventralis muscles from the boneless shoulder, and faced surfaces of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, adductor, rectus femoris, and vastus lateralis muscles from the boneless ham were evaluated for pH and instrumental color (Minolta CR-400). Evaluations were conducted for at least three different locations on each of the muscle samples and averaged before data analysis occurred. The longissimus thoracis had the lowest pH and the lightest and least red color compared with the other eight muscles evaluated in this study (mean differences ranged from 0.98 to 8.70 for L*, 3.98 to 12.56 for a*, and 0.026 to 0.409 for pH). Furthermore, regression analysis suggested that pH and color values for the longissimus thoracis were not adequate predictors for pH and color values obtained from other muscles and therefore consideration should be given to the individual muscles that are of interest., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study compared the accuracy of two methods for predicting carcass leanness (i.e., predicted lean yield) with fat-free lean yields obtained by manual carcass side cut-out and dissection of lean, fat, and bone components. The two prediction methods evaluated in this study estimated lean yield by measuring fat thickness and muscle depth at one location with an optical grading probe (Destron PG-100) or by scanning the entire carcass with advanced ultrasound technology (AutoFom III). Pork carcasses (166 barrows and 171 gilts; head-on hot carcass weights (HCWs) ranging from 89.4 to 138.0 kg) were selected based on their fit within desired HCW ranges, their fit within specific backfat thickness ranges, and sex (barrow or gilt). Data (n = 337 carcasses) were analyzed using a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design including the fixed effects of the method for predicting lean yield, sex, and their interaction, and random effects of producer (i.e., farm) and slaughter date. Linear regression analysis was then used to examine the accuracy of the Destron PG-100 and AutoFom III data for measuring backfat thickness, muscle depth, and predicted lean yield when compared with fat-free lean yields obtained with manual carcass side cut-outs and dissections. Partial least squares regression analysis was used to predict the measured traits from image parameters generated by the AutoFom III software. There were method differences (P < 0.01) for determining muscle depth and lean yield with no method differences (P = 0.27) for measuring backfat thickness. Both optical probe and ultrasound technologies strongly predicted backfat thickness (R2 ≥ 0.81) and lean yield (R2 ≥ 0.66), but poorly predicted muscle depth (R2 ≤ 0.33). The AutoFom III improved accuracy [R2 = 0.77, root mean square error (RMSE) = 1.82] for the determination of predicted lean yield vs. the Destron PG-100 (R2 = 0.66, RMSE = 2.22). The AutoFom III was also used to predict bone-in/boneless primal weights, which is not possible with the Destron PG-100. The cross-validated prediction accuracy for the prediction of primal weights ranged from 0.71 to 0.84 for bone-in cuts and 0.59 to 0.82 for boneless cut lean yield. The AutoFom III was moderately (r ≤ 0.67) accurate for the determination of predicted lean yield in the picnic, belly, and ham primal cuts and highly (r ≥ 0.68) accurate for the determination of predicted lean yield in the whole shoulder, butt, and loin primal cuts., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)