Meat and Muscle Biology (Nov 2018)

Correlation Comparisons of Early and Aged Quality Traits of Pork Aged Either as Intact Loins or Case-Ready Chops

  • Anna C. Dilger,
  • B. J. Klehm,
  • D. A. King,
  • Dustin Boler,
  • J. E. Lowell,
  • M. F. Overholt,
  • Steven D Shackelford

DOI
https://doi.org/10.22175/mmb2018.06.0016
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2, no. 1

Abstract

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Approximately half of retail pork chops in the U.S. arrive at the store in case-ready packages. The other half arrives as intact-loins and are sliced when needed. Cutting chops from loins may increase moisture loss leading to lighter colored and less juicy meat. Therefore, it is possible that correlations between loin quality traits observed early postmortem (PM) and aged quality traits would differ between intact-loin aged (ILA) chops and case-ready aged (CRA) chops. Loins (288 total) were selected to fill a matrix that varied in visual color and marbling. Loins were assigned to 1 of 2 packaging treatments (n = 144): ILA or CRA. Loins assigned as ILA remained vacuum-packaged at 4°C until 12 d PM, sliced and chop surface was evaluated. Loins assigned to CRA were sliced into 28-mm thick chops at 2 d PM, packaged in individual Styrofoam trays overwrapped in polyvinyl-chloride (PVC) film, and gas flushed in bulk packages. Quality parameters of packaging treatments at early and aged time points were compared as a randomized complete block design. Pearson correlation coefficients between early and aged quality traits for packaging treatments were transformed using Fisher’s r to z transformation for independent correlation comparisons of packaging treatments. Chops from ILA were darker and redder at 12 d PM than CRA chops (P < 0.0001). Lightness and redness values on ventral surface for ILA loins (r = 0.52 lightness; r = 0.63 redness) and CRA loins (r = 0.45 lightness; r = 0.61 redness) at 1 d PM were both correlated with aged lightness and redness values on aged chop face at 12 d PM and the correlations did not differ (P ≥ 0.43) for either trait. Overall, aging intact loins in vacuum-packaging improved color after 12 d of aging compared with aging chops in case-ready packaging. Despite the differences between aging methods, the correlations between early and aged loin quality didn’t differ.

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