title: Compositional and instrumental firmness variations within fresh pork bellies.
abstract: Fresh pork bellies (n=24) were cut into 15 sections to measure the intra-belly variation in compositional and mechanical firmness characteristics. Length and width of each belly was measured before the belly was divided into 3 rows (D = dorsal; C = central; and V = ventral) and 5 columns (labeled 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 from cranial to caudal), resulting in 15 belly sections of equal dimensions. The belly section with the greatest compression value was D-1, whereas the lowest compression value was found in the V-4 section (column×row, P<0.001). Conversely, the greatest and least puncture values were observed in the C-2 and V-5 locations, respectively (column×row, P=0.016). The D-3 section had the lowest proportion of lean and the greatest proportion of fat, but the greatest lean and lowest fat percentages were found in the V-1 and C-4 sections, respectively (column×row, P<0.001). The greatest proportions of saturated fatty acids (SFA) were found in the V-4 and V-5, and the lowest proportions of SFA were in D-1 (column×row, P<0.001). Moreover, C-4 and V-1 had the greatest percentages of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), whereas the lowest MUFA content was observed in D-1, D-2, and D-3 (column×row, P<0.001). The D row (columns 1, 2, 3, and 5) also had the greatest proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), but the lowest proportions of PUFA were located in C-4, V-4, and V-5 (column×row, P<0.001). Consequently, the iodine value was greatest in D-1 and lowest in V-4, V-5, and C-5 (column×row, P<0.001). It is apparent from these results that there is an obvious fatty acid composition gradient within bellies, which results in considerable intra-belly variation in composition and firmness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
authors.forename: Keely A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Trusell
authors.forename: Jason K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Apple
authors.forename: Janeal W S
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yancey
authors.forename: Tim M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Douglas L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Galloway
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Stackhouse
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry*; D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D019245:Compressive Strength; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000032:analysis*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000032:analysis; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008461:Meat Products / Q000032:analysis*; D008462:Meat-Packing Industry / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D034421:Sus scrofa
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated