Effect of different stunning methods of pigs on subcutaneous veining defect and meat quality of raw ham

Abstract

In the last 20 years, the incidence of veining defect on pigs raw hams has progressively risen, up to reach worrying levels. Excluding the research by Gallo et al. (1999) regarding the heritability, the literature does not report scientific data about the cause of this defect. This investigation is part of a larger research programme aimed at studying some of the causes which may determine the appearance and gravity of the problem (Russo et al., 2003)...

Keywords

• ham, veining defect, stunning method, meat quality, heavy pig.