title: Influence of soiling on boar taint in boars.
abstract: It has been suggested that skatole, one of the main compounds responsible for boar taint, can be lowered by keeping pigs clean, as skatole can be absorbed through skin and/or lungs (Hansen, Larsen, Jensen, HansenMoller & Bartongade, 1994). With this experiment, we further investigated this hypothesis by comparing extremely clean with extremely dirty animals with regard to the occurrence of boar taint. One group of boars was washed daily and pens were mucked on and littered down daily (CLEAN), a second group of boars was rubbed with faeces daily (DIRTY) and a third group of boars was kept in control conditions (CONTROL). The treatment was performed during the last four weeks before slaughter. According to the standardised consumer panel evaluations, boars subjected to extra soiling had a higher concentration of boar taint than boars that were kept extra clean. In contrast, expert panels judged general meat flavour to be inferior in CLEAN than CONTROL pigs. The home consumer panel, the hot iron method, and laboratory analyses, i.e., the presence of indole, skatole and androstenone in fat and serum, all showed no significant differences. So no clear indications towards skatole reduction by improving cleanliness of pigs were found.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Animal Sciences Unit, Scheldeweg 68, B-9090 Melle, Belgium. marijke.aluwe@ilvo.vlaanderen.be
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aluwé
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Bekaert
authors.forename: F A M
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Tuyttens
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vanhaecke
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Smet
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: De Brabander
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: De Brabander
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Millet
mesh_terms: D000736:Androstenes / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D005243:Feces; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005518:Food Preferences; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D011786:Quality Control; D011897:Random Allocation; D012677:Sensation; D012862:Skatole / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D012903:Smell; D050507:Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal / Q000737:chemistry; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D000736:Androstenes; D007211:Indoles; C030374:indole; D012862:Skatole