title: Improving meat quality of organic pork through post mortem handling of carcasses: an innovative approach.
abstract: This study was conducted to examine the best combination of post mortem chilling, suspension and ageing in order to optimize tenderness of organic pork at slaughter, which may be tougher than conventionally produced pork, because of lower daily gain. Combinations of stepwise chilling with a holding period of 6h at 10°C or traditional blast tunnel chilling, suspension in the pelvic bone or Achilles Tendon and ageing 2 or 4 days post mortem were tested. Stepwise chilling and ageing improved tenderness of the loin, and the effects were additive, whereas pelvic suspension was less effective in texture improvements, and non-additive to stepwise chilling. Stepwise chilling improved tenderness to a similar degree as can be obtained within 2-4 days of extended ageing, however, the minimum temperature during the holding period seems to be crucial in order to obtain a positive effect of stepwise chilling, and it should be above 7.5°C.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark. Margrethe.Therkildsen@agrsci.dk
authors.forename: Margrethe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Therkildsen
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: Sybille
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kyed
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oksbjerg
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon; D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods; D005524:Food Technology; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D010384:Pelvic Bones; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012034:Refrigeration; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013696:Temperature