Developing a Checklist for Pork Quality

1
Developing a Checklist for Pork Quality

• Steven J Moeller
• Department of Animal Sciences
• The Ohio State University

2
Focus on Pork Muscle Quality

• Functionality is a common term used to describe
  pork quality
• Factors that affect consumer acceptance or demand
  for pork and pork products
• Factors that affect the processing and
  value-added opportunities for pork and pork
  products

3
Why are we interested in Quality?

• Past 10 years
• Producers have NOT been paid for quality, just
  lean content
• Today
• Packers are monitoring Quality and Positioning to
  assess quality on all pigs delivered
• Future
• Packers will differentiate quality
• Producers who are looking to establish targeted,
  niche, specified markets will need to meet
  quality standards and take the necessary steps to
  deliver it

4
Critical Control Points for Quality
Farm
50 of variation
Facilities Handling
Genetics
Nutrition
Transportation
Packing Plant
Pre-Harvest Harvest Chilling
Post Harvest
5
Goal Quality Eating Experiences
Honey Garlic Americas Cut
Peppered Chefs Prime
Stuffed Pork Roast with Cranberry Sauce
6
v Genetic Inputs

• Choice of Breeds

7
National Barrow Show Results (240 lb basis)
8
National Barrow Show Results
9
National Barrow Show Results
10
Choice of Sires Within Breeds

• Do genetic suppliers provide quality Information
• EPDs for Quality
• Indications of Quality in Selection Programs

PICmarq Technologies Free of Stress
Susceptibility RN Gene Free
11
Major Genes

• Porcine Stress Syndrome
• Rendement Napole Gene

12
Halothane Gene Impact on Quality

• Major contributor to PSE meat
• nn-Homozygous positive
• 90 PSE, 5-10 DFD
• 5 -10 Death before slaughter
• Nn - Stress Gene Carrier
• 30-50 will become PSE

13
NBS Stress Gene Results
14
Napole (RN) Gene Impact on QualityHampshire
Gene

• Dominant Gene expressed primarily in Hampshires
• DNA test now available
• Results in
• Lower Processed Ham Yields
• Higher Moisture Loss in Cooking
• Lower ultimate pH
• Sour meat Taste (due to low pH)
• Improved tenderness of fresh loin Some Studies
• Acceptable juiciness

15
Napole Frequency in Pure Breeds (NBS Progeny
Test Summary 99-01)
16
v Nutrition
17
v Nutritional Approach

• Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation
• Vitamin E and Selenium
• NRC Recommendation 30 mg/kg Vit E
• Research with levels from 100 to 800 mg/kg showed
  improvement in reducing lipid oxidation, but
  conflicting results on improving color or water
  holding capacity
• Response seems to be dosage and feeding time
  dependent
• Vitamin D (might improve tenderness)
• No major benefits have been observed
• Chromium, Carnitine, Niacine
• Not enough data to verify potential to improve
  quality

18
v Nutritional Approach

• Improving Fat Quality
• Soft fat is a problem in the industry
• belly processing (thin bellies, poor slicing
  ability)
• Off-flavors and shelf-life implications
  associated with feeding certain fats (oxidative
  rancidity, graying of the product)
• Feeding of Highly-Unsaturated fats to Finishing
  Hogs
• Change in pig fat saturatedunsaturated ratio
• Vegetable oil sources (canola, soybean, corn,
  sunflower) are very high in unsaturated fats
• Animal fat sources (tallow, choice white grease,
  lard) are much more saturated
• CLA - Conjugated Linoleic Acid
• Improvement in carcass lean
• Improvement in belly firmness
• may increase IMF due to changes in satunsaturated
  ratio

19
v Nutritional Approach

• Feed Withdrawal Prior to Slaughter
• 12 to 18 hours prior to stun and stick is
  recommended
• Benefits include, improved dressing percentage,
  fewer problems with evisceration, reduced
  glycogen stores in the muscle
• Concerns occur when feed removal is gt 18 hours
• Carcass shrink occurs
• Muscle quality may decline

20
v Nutritional Approach

• ProteinEnergy Ratio
• Related to Intra-muscular fat content
• Feeding Protein Deficient diets in late finishing
  appears to improve intra-muscular fat with the
  loin
• Problem - Sacrifice lean tissue growth
• May actually reduce water-holding capacity

21
Paylean and Quality

• Research at OSU
• Duroc, Berkshire and High-lean Crossbred lines
• 9 g/ton for 28 days
• No differences in Quality due to Paylean
• Tendency to be numerically tougher when fed
  Paylean
• Tendency to reduce intra-muscular fat content
  when fed Paylean
• Genetic line difference were large
• Berkshires superior

22
v On-farm Handling

• Health/Stress Management
• Well-lit buildings reduce excitability
• Human-pig interaction on a regular basis improves
  handling
• Facilities for Loading and Movement
• No Electrical Prods (increases in PSE if used)
• Avoid movement and sorting during hottest time of
  day
• Dual ramp design with open panels between and
  solid outside walls increase loading efficiency
• Loading Ramps should have a maximum 20º slope

23
v Transportation

• National Pork Board Trucker Quality Assurance
• Use flat-floor trailers
• avoid possum belly trailers
• Allow 4.2 sq. ft for a 250 lb pig
• 183, 250 lb pigs per load
• DOAs double when gt 200 pigs/load

24
v Transportation between the farm and plant

• Adjust for Weather Extremes
• Fewer pigs/load in hot weather
• Use wet sand or wet shavings (gt 60 F)
• Use straw ONLY in Cold weather
• Install water drips or wet animals once loaded
• Open sides of trailer to allow air-flow in summer
  and close sides in winter
• Unload immediately upon arrival to the plant

25
v Packing Plant Factors

• Pre-harvest handling
• Pen arrangements, water access, cooling, pen
  size, rest time
• Stunning and Early Post-mortem
• Method of stunning, stun to stick interval, scald
  time, evisceration time, death-cooler interval
• Chilling
• Method of chill, rate of chill
• Fabrication processes
• Packaging, product enhancement

26
v Pre-Harvest Handling

• Penning
• Free access to water, wide alleys, adequate room
  to rest
• Water Spray
• Misters or sprays to cool hogs when unloaded
• Rest times
• Minimum of 2 to 4 hours rest prior to stunning
• Significant decrease in PSE

27
v Stun and Early Post-Mortem

• Electrical stunning
• Observed impact on incidence of broken backs,
  blood splash, bruising and meat quality as result
  of sudden muscle contraction
• Constant amp systems should be utilized
• CO2 stunning appears to significantly reduce
  quality problems
• Less stress on the animal
• Slower than US line-speeds

28
v Stun and Early Post-Mortem

• Stun-to-stick interval
• Bleed within 25 to 35 seconds
• Reduces blood splash because pressure reduced
  quickly
• Faster sticking allows carcasses to cool down
  quicker, reducing PSE
• Bleeding in the Horizontal position will speed
  stick interval
• Bleed Time
• Minimum of 5 minutes prior to scalding

29
v Stun and Early Post-Mortem

• Scald Time
• Hair removal requires immersion in to hot scald
  tanks
• More than 5 ½ to 7 ½ minutes can result in
  increased temperature of the carcass and increase
  the rate of pH decline

30
v Evisceration Time

• Goal is to have the carcass from stun to chill
  within 25 to 30 minutes
• Time implication is on how quickly we drop the
  temperature of the carcass
• Intestinal contents maintain heat and allow
  glycolocis to occur at a rapid rate
• Most U.S. plants today take longer than 30
  minutes to reach the cooler

31
v Chilling System

• Cooler capacity and chill technique influence
  quality and the ability to retard growth of
  bacteria
• Goal is to rapidly chill the carcass without
  creating cold-shortening of the muscles
• Carcass temp of 36 to 40 F at 24 hrs post mortem
• Blast Chilling Extremely cold, rapidly moving
  air
• Usually a short time (45 min 2 hrs)
• Reduce expression of Pale meat (improve color)
• Little impact on Water-Holding Capacity in most
  studies
• Impact is unpredictable

32
v Fabrication and Retail

• Vacuum packaging improves shelf-life and
  preserves quality
• Enhanced fresh pork (sodium, phosphates and
  water)
• Benefits Improves Tenderness significantly as
  well as juiciness and flavor
• Concerns - Success is a function of initial
  quality
• Cant cover-up poor quality with enhancement
• Changes the flavor and taste

33
Fastest Way to Improve Quality

• Provide economic incentive based upon Pork
  Quality
• Already present in any niche market
• Producers respond to economic signals
• Producers can use genetics, nutrition, handling,
  trucker selection, and packer selection to
  improve pork quality

34
Who is capturing Quality Markets
http//www.berkshiremeats.com/newsite/
35
Who is capturing Quality Markets

• Five-Star Duroc Pork

36
Who is capturing Quality Markets
http//www.nimanranch.com/
37
Who is capturing Quality Markets
http//www.edenfarms.org/edenfarms/
38
Who is capturing Quality Markets