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An assessment of various limitations in the traditional preparation of boucané pork indicated that the process and the end-product quality could be enhanced by certain innovations. The overall aim is to improve the quality of the end product while retaining the uniqueness and specific traits of traditional boucané and also to assess the innovation potential with respect to processing a range of pork-based products. For that reason, a novel technique involving immersion in a complex solution is proposed as an alternative to traditional processing. A predictive model was thus developed, combining a kinetic approach with surface response methodology. Mass transfers and impact on final product quality were discussed. With this innovation, the meat product can be salted, dried, cooked and smoked in a single step. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We studied effects of aging methods and temperature on the physical, chemical, and amino acid composition of pork belly from Berkshire and Landrace× Yorkshire×Duroc (LYD) swine. Pork belly samples were assigned randomly to breed groups (Berkshire and LYD), aging temperature groups (0°C and 9°C), and aging method groups. One samples of vacuum-packaged hanging pork bellies were hung in a refrigerated cooler with 83±2.0% humidity, while the other samples were immersed in a 3.5% salt solution in a vacuum package and subsequently stored in the same cooler for 2 weeks. LYD pork had lower pH and purge loss and higher lightness values than those of Berkshire pork (p<0.05). Moreover, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and hardness values of LYD pork were lower than those of Berkshire pork after aging (p<0.05). Berkshire pork had a higher level of flavorful amino acids than LYD pork did during aging (p<0.05). Bellies aged at elevated temperatures for two weeks had higher volatile basic nitrogen. However, significantly higher percentages of flavorful and sweet taste amino acids were observed in bellies aged at 9°C compared to those aged at 0°C for 2 weeks. Moisture content was higher in immersed samples than hanging samples after two weeks of aging (p<0.05). Hanging pork bellies exhibited higher texture profiles than immersed pork bellies at two weeks (p<0.05). We concluded that breeds, aging temperature, and methods affected most quality attributes of pork belly., Competing Interests: The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest., (© Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources.)

Objective: In most retail centers, primal pork cuts for sale are usually prepared into retail-ready slices and overwrapped with air-permeable plastic film. Also, meat of Korean native black pig (KNP) is reputed for its superior quality, however, its shelf life during retail display has not been studied. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate shelf life of prepackaged retail-ready KNP belly and shoulder butt slices during refrigerated display., Methods: Bellies and shoulder butt obtained at 24 h post-mortem from finishing KNP were used. Each belly or shoulder butt was manually cut into 1.5 cm-thick slices. The slices in each cut type were randomly taken and placed on white foam tray (2 slices/tray) overwrapped with polyvinyl chloride film. The retail-ready packages were then placed in a retail display cabinet at 4°C. Shelf life and sensory quality of the samples were evaluated on day 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 of display., Results: The shoulder butt reached the upper limit (20 mg/100 g) of volatile basic nitrogen for fresh meat after 9 days while, the belly remained within this limit throughout the display time (15 days). Both the cuts reached a thiobarbituric acid reactive substances level of above 0.5 mg malondialdehyde/kg after 9 days. The a* (redness) values remained unchanged during first 9 days in both cuts (p>0.05). After 9 days, off-flavor was not found in either cut, but higher off-flavor intensity was found in shoulder butt after 12 days. The shoulder butt was unacceptable for overall eating quality after 12 days while, belly still was acceptable after 12 days., Conclusion: The belly showed a longer shelf life compared to the shoulder butt, and a shelf life of 9 and 12 days is recommended for the prepackaged retail-ready KNP shoulder butt and belly slices, respectively.

Introduction: The use of ultrasound in anaesthetic practice continues to be more established and the use of ultrasound guidance in establishing vascular access is recommended by various groups. We have developed a tissue model for the practice and skills development in ultrasound vascular access. Method: The tissue model consist of a piece of "pork belly", a longitudinal shaped balloon inserted between two muscle layers at a chosen depth of the tissue model (mimics a blood vessel), a bag of intravenous fluid (e.g. Ringer's Lactate) together with a giving set and a short piece of extension tubing connected to a three-way tap used to expel air from the system. One end of the balloon is tied to the giving set with the intravenous fluid. The other end is tied to the short tubing with the three-way tap Results: Ultrasound images of the fluid filled balloon mimic a blood vessel. It is possible under ultrasound guidance to puncture the balloon several times (>10times) and still be able to distend the balloon with fluid. Interpretation: Ultrasound guided techniques require practice to improve hand-eye coordination. The "pork belly" tissue model allows multiple needle puncture without losing its functional integrity. Conclusion: We believe the "pork belly" tissue model adds to the range of models that can be used to practice ultrasound guided vascular access. The components required for this model are readily available locally and affordable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Pork belly is considered as the most commercially important and preferable primal cut by consumers worldwide. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the effects of fat levels on the meat quality characteristics of pork bellies., Methods: Seventy-eight growing-finishing pigs collected from different commercial pig farms were slaughtered and used in the present study. After slaughter 24 h, bellies were fabricated according to the Korean Pork Cutting Specification, and immediately sampled for analysis of their fat content. Based on the fat levels, the bellies were segregated into three different groups: low fat (LF, fat ≤20%, n = 15), medium fat (MF, fat 21% to 30%, n = 30), and high fat (HF, fat ≥31%, n = 33). The bellies were then analyzed for meat quality traits, fatty acids, flavor compounds and eating quality properties., Results: The HF group had lower moisture and cooking loss levels compared to the other groups (p<0.05). The LF group presented higher proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to the other groups (p<0.05). The LF group showed higher amounts of the Maillard reaction-derived flavor compounds (e.g., 2,5-dimethyl pyrazine, 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethyl, and 4-methylthiazole) associated with meaty and roasty flavors whereas, the HF group showed higher amounts of oleic acid- derived compounds (e.g., nonanal and octanal) associated with the fatty and oily flavors. Interestingly, significantly higher scores for all the eating quality attributes (flavor, juiciness, tenderness, and overall acceptance) were found in the HF group compared to those in the LF or MF group (p<0.05)., Conclusion: The high-fat bellies (fat ≥31%) had a better technological quality and eating quality compared to the low-fat bellies (fat ≤20%). Thus, increasing the fat content may improve the technological quality and eating quality traits of pork bellies, however, this increase may also result in more trimmed loss due to excessively deposited body fat.

The effect of marination with black currant juice (BCJ) was investigated for their effects on meat quality and content of biogenic amines (BAs) [putrescine (PUT), cadaverine (CAD), histamine (HIM), tyramine (TYM), and spermidine (SPD)] in pork belly during storage at 9°C. BCJ was shown to have antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Additionally, the pH of pork belly marinated with BCJ (PBB) was significantly lower than that of raw pork belly (RPB) during storage. No significant difference in microorganisms between RPB and PBB was observed at day 0 of storage. However, at days 5 and 10 of storage, volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) was significantly decreased in PBB compared to RPB, and PBB also demonstrated significantly lower numbers of bacteria associated with spoilage (Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas spp.) at these time-points. PBB was also associated with significantly reduced formation of BAs (PUT, CAD, TYM, and total BAs) compared to RPB at days 5 and 10 of storage. These results indicated that BCJ can be regarded as a natural additive for improving meat quality by preventing increased pH, VBN, bacterial spoilage, and inhibiting BAs formation during refrigerated storage., Competing Interests: The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest., (© Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources.)

The study attempts to address the low tenderness problem of meat heated by microwave through modifying the heat transfer mode in the microwave oven. The effects of two heat transfer modes, microwave combined with conduction heating (MH + CH) and microwave heating (MH) on the texture properties of pork belly were investigated. The results showed that the shear force of meat heated by MH + CH was significantly lower than MH. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and surface hydrophobicity showed that the meat heated by MH + CH had a higher β -sheet proportion and stronger hydrophobic interaction. The inverted fluorescence microscope images showed that the meat heated by MH + CH had a more compact gel structure which led to less free water and better water retention capacity. The present study revealed that compared with conventional microwave heating, the meat heated by MH + CH could contributed to a more desirable tenderness level. Great concerns on microwave cooking have arisen due to the increasing number of families with a microwave oven. However, the low tenderness of meat heated by microwave limited the application potential of microwave oven and the development of microwave industry. This research found that in the microwave oven, composite heated meat had a compact gelatin structure and higher water holding capacity, which significantly improved the tenderness and food quality of meat. Therefore, microwave combined with conduction heating mode could be used to solve the problem of low tenderness of meat products caused by microwave heating and expand the application and development scope of the microwave oven. Unlabelled Image • Microwave combined with conduction heating improved the tenderness of pork belly. • The meat tenderness was associated with water holding capacity and microstructure. • Combined heating could reduce water loss and increase the water retention capacity. • The better tenderness of combined heating was related to the compact gel structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need for an accurate, economical, nondestructive, and rapid procedure for determining the lean to fat tissue ratio of pork belly or bacon slab. Relationship between specific gravity of various fat/lean ratios in different shapes was investigated using regression analysis. Accuracy of the prediction equation was examined. Specific gravity of sample was neither affected by weight nor by shape. The correlation coefficient between fat percent and specific gravity is 0.98, which is highly significant. Of the variation in fat percent, 96.3% is explained by the variation in specific gravity. Within the range of one standard error, 26 out of 31 verification samples with various weight are included. Data suggested that specific gravity can be used to predict fat percent of pork belly with a fair degree of accuracy. Predicting fat ratio should be helpful to the consumer as well as to industry for quality assurance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Fresh pork belly is a highly popular meat in South Korea, accounting for 59 % of the approximately 100 g of meat per capita that is consumed daily. Fresh pork belly offers not only high-quality protein from the lean cuts but also substantial micronutrients including fat-soluble vitamins and minerals. However, fresh pork belly generally consists of about 30 % fat, with saturated fatty acids representing half of this value. Excessive consumption of saturated fatty acids increases total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and triglycerides while decreasing high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, raising concerns about an increased risk of hyperlipidemia, followed by cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we discuss the consumption and production trends in South Korea, the general characteristics, and health issues related to fresh pork belly to delineate the features of pork production and consumer welfare.

This study was performed to determine the meat quality characteristics of pork loin and belly from 3 different three-way crossbred pigs: Yorkshire × Landrace × Duroc (YLD), Yorkshire × Chester White × Yorkshire (YCY), and Yorkshire × Berkshire × Duroc (YBD). Each of the twenty crossed pigs were randomly selected with their live weights at the range of 110-120 kg. After being slaughtered and cooled at 0℃ for 24 h in a chilling room, the parts of loin and belly on the left side of the cooled carcasses were cut and prepared for analysis. The intramuscular fat contents of the loins from YLD were higher than those of the other crossbreds (p<0.05), and the YCY bellies had the highest moisture contents (p<0.05). Water holding capacity (WHC) of the loins from YCY were higher than the other crossbreds (p<0.05). Shear force values of the YBD loins were higher than the others (p<0.05). The TBARS values of YCY loins were significantly lower than the others at 0 d, but the difference disappeared after 14 d of storage. Sensory scores of YLD were ranked higher than the YCY or YBD in both the loins and bellies (p<0.05). The relatively high sensory values of YLD crossbred pork could be explained by the better WHC, the low shear forces, and the higher fat contents. The results indicated that the meat qualities could be altered by three-way crossbreeding.