Jason K. Apple University of Arkansas

Publish Date: August 26, 2015

A number of factors affect pork quality, with swine genetics, preslaughter handling, harvest, and pork carcass chilling having the greatest impacts. However, there is considerable evidence indicating that manipulating the nutrient composition of swine diets may offset the negative effects of genetic predisposition and/or pig handling on pork quality, and may actually enhance pork quality traits of well-handled pigs of good quality genotypes. Pork quality traditionally refers to the measurement of muscle pH, color, firmness, marbling or intramuscular fat (IMF) content, shelf-life, and cooked pork palatability. Yet, domestic and international consumers may define pork quality in terms associated with environmental, ethical, and animal welfare aspects of pork production, whereas pork processors typically include fat color, firmness, and composition, as well as nutrient composition and microbiological safety in their definition of pork quality. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the effects of dietary modifications on: 1) postmortem muscle metabolism and technological quality attributes (i.e., pH, color, and water-holding capacity); 2) pork IMF content; 3) pork fat quality; 4) color and lipid stability during refrigerated storage/display; and 5) cooked pork palatability.

Publish Date: December 13, 2012

Marketed under the trade-name Paylean™ (Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN), ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) is a phenethanolamine β-adrenergic agonist used as a feed supplement to redirect nutrients to improve live pig performance (daily gain and feed conversion efficiency) and fat-free lean yields in pork carcasses [1]. Research was initiated in the 1980’s and RAC was FDA-approved for inclusion in swine finishing diets in December 1999. Initial approval included an inclusion range of 4.5 to 18 g/ton and fed from 150 to 240 lb. In 2006, the label changed to include an inclusion range from 4.5 to 9 g/ton of feed and to be fed for the last 50 to 90 lbs of body weight gain prior to market. This overview summarizes all levels of Paylean feeding; however, as producers consider the current, approved feeding level, more emphasis should be placed on the 4.5 to 9 g/ton data. The specific focus of the factsheet is an overview of the effects of RAC on fresh pork quality and cooked pork palatability.