title: Carcass and muscle characteristics of Yorkshire, Meishan, Yorkshire x Meishan, Meishan x Yorkshire, Fengjing x Yorkshire, and Minzhu x Yorkshire pigs.
abstract: Five barrows and five gilts from each of the following breed types, Yorkshire (Y), Meishan (Ms), Fengjing x Y, Minzhu x Y, Ms x Y, and Y x Ms were slaughtered at an average live weight of 103 kg. Carcass composition and muscle characteristics were evaluated at 24 h postmortem. Chemical characteristics and palatability attributes were evaluated on the longissimus and semimembranosus muscles. No significant interactions between breed x muscle, breed x sex, or muscle x sex were observed so data were pooled across muscle and sex. Yorkshire had higher (P < .05) carcass weight, longissimus muscle area, trimmed and boneless ham and loin weights, and boneless picnic weight than Ms and the crossbreds were intermediate between Y and Ms. Yorkshire had higher (P < .05) muscling score, untrimmed ham weight, trimmed picnic weight, and juiciness score. Yorkshire had a lower cholesterol content than Ms or crossbreds, and Y had the highest water-holding capacity. The longissimus muscle from Ms and the crossbreds was firmer than that from Y (P < .05), and muscle from Ms had a higher pigment concentration (P < .05). Yorkshire and Fengjing x Y had higher tenderness scores (P < .05).
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801.
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: McKeith
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Novakofski
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Carr
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition; D001947:Breeding; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005260:Female; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards*; D009132:Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013552:Swine / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000235:genetics