Pork Quality
Alternative Curing
Publish Date: July 8, 2014
Curing impacts meat product attributes, resulting in unique product characteristics, when compared to fresh meat products. Traditionally, meat curing has been associated with processed meats for the purpose of altering color, flavor, safety, and shelf-life characteristics (Sebranek & Fox, 1985).
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Consumer Attitudes Towards Color and Marbling of Fresh Pork
Publish Date: May 15, 2012
Humans use color and marbling to judge the ‘value’ or quality of a product, often comparing and choosing a product based on expectations and past experiences. Choices made based on visual evaluation, which requires no physical contact, pose very little risk; therefore, when a product does not meet ‘color expectations’, it is an easy decision to deem a product ‘unacceptable’. Color and marbling influences purchasing decisions as to whether a food is acceptable for consumption so measuring these aspects are important to the industry.
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Comparing the Commercial Swine Industry and the Show Pig Industry
Publish Date: June 3, 2006
The commercial swine industry is focused on producing high quality, wholesome and reasonably priced pork products for consumers. In the show pig industry, pigs are managed to achieve high placing in the show ring. Some practices that help animals do well in the show ring may be undesirable in the commercial swine industry. It is important that practices in the show pig industry do not result in negative consequences for shows or for the commercial industry.
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Cooked Color in Pork
Publish Date: June 3, 2006
How would you like your pork chop? Medium rare? Well done? Most consumers have never been faced with this decision. Due to the concern for Trichinella spiralis, typical pork cookery practices involve heating the pork until it is overcooked and white in color. Cookbooks instruct to cook pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C), which is the medium degree of doneness. Actually, under FDA guidelines, pork can be cooked to 145°F (63°C) for 3 minutes or 150°F (66°C) for 1 minute. Cooking pork at a lower temperature improves the moisture and flavor of the product. The dry, mild flavor that often accompanies pork is due to cooking beyond 160°F (71°C).
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Comparison of European & American Systems of Production and Consumption of Dry-Cured Hams
Publish Date: June 3, 2006
Dry cured hams or jamon have been produced using only pork, sea salt, fresh mountain air and time (Provence, 2002) in Southern Europe for 2000 years. USDA definition of a ham is the hind leg of a hog, which may be either fresh, cured, or cured-and smoked (FSIS, 1995). U.S. country (or dry-cured) hams are…
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