Influence of lairage on blood composition of pig and on the development of PSE pork

Authors

• Markku Honkavaara Finnish Meat Research Centre, Box 56, SF-13101 Hämeenlinna, Finland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.72373

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of lairage temperature, humidity and time on blood composition and on the development of PSE meat (pH1≤5.8). The present study suggested that holding temperature and time had a major influence on porcine stress and meat quality, whereas, lairage humidity had a minor effect on these traits. The higher was lairage temperature the higher carcass temperature (P < 0.001) and log creatine kinase (CK) value (P<0.05) at slaughter. Prolonged holding time increased muscle glycogen content (P<0.01) and muscle pH1 value (P<0.05) but decreased muscle lactate content in pigs slaughtered on transport day. In summary, the results suggested that the optimum lairage temperature, humidity and time were respectively 15—18°C, 59—65 % and 3—5 h. These resulted in a low muscle lactate content and PSE frequency, whereas muscle glycogen level was high and pH, in longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle was in the range of 5.9—6.4 which was acceptable for commercial use.