Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:52:44.787Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Consumer responses to fresh meat and meat products from barrows and boars with different levels of boar taint

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

A. Diestre
Affiliation:
Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimetaries, Centre de Tecnologia de la Carn, Granja Camps i Armet, 17121 Monells, Spain
M. A. Oliver
Affiliation:
Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimetaries, Centre de Tecnologia de la Carn, Granja Camps i Armet, 17121 Monells, Spain
M. Gispert
Affiliation:
Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimetaries, Centre de Tecnologia de la Carn, Granja Camps i Armet, 17121 Monells, Spain
I. Arpa
Affiliation:
Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimetaries, Centre de Tecnologia de la Carn, Granja Camps i Armet, 17121 Monells, Spain
J. Arnau
Affiliation:
Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimetaries, Centre de Tecnologia de la Carn, Granja Camps i Armet, 17121 Monells, Spain
Get access

Abstract

In a consumer trial the assessments of 874 cooks and 5034 family members were analysed. Forty-one boar and 40 barrow carcasses were selected in a commercial abattoir so that the two sexes were similar in carcass weight, fat thickness and muscle pH. A boar sample including a higher proportion of tainted carcasses was selected. It was divided into three boar taint-level subgroups according to their 5a-androst- 16-ene-3-one (androstenone) concentration in fat (Jig androstenone per g fat) as follows: L < 0·5 (no. = 17), M 0·5 to 1·0 (no. = 13) and H > 1·0 (no. = 11). From each carcass, loin/rib chops were prepared and cooked hams, brine-cured bellies and Spanish dry-cured hams were processed. An analysis of variance was used to estimate the effects of sex and boar taint levels. Cooks (P < 0·05) and family members (P < 0·01) reported a higher level of odour for boar chops. A higher level of unfavourable responses to odour and flavour were found in the H taint-level subgroup. Also, the H taint-level group produced the highest proportion of negative judgements on overall acceptability in comparison with normal purchases. The response of cooks to odour from brine-cured bellies was significantly affected by sex (boar and barrow). For bellies, odour, overall acceptability and comparison with normal purchases were significantly affected by the boar taint-level subgroups (P < 005). The treatments had no significant effect on any quality question related to boar taint in cooked ham. However, boar taint level significantly affected the assessments of flavour and overall acceptability from Spanish dry-cured ham (P < 0·01). A higher proportion of negative responses was found in the H taint-level subgroup. The trial indicates that boar meat can produce an unfavourable response from consumers for fresh meat (chops) or products needing heating prior to consumption (brine-cured bellies). However, in cooked products with hot processing and cold consumption (cooked ham) no negative effect from using boar meat was observed. To produce Spanish dry-cured ham, androstenone quantification should be carried out to avoid consumer dissatisfaction.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Arpa, I., Diestre, A. and Monfort, J. M. 1988. [The incidence of boar taint in commercial carcasses by means of an olfactory pajiel and its relationship with androstenone.] Investigation Agraria Production y Sanidad Animal 3: 916.Google Scholar
Bonneau, M. 1987. Effects of age and live weight on fat 5a-androstenone levels in young boars fed two planes of nutrition. Reproduction, Nutrition, Developpement 27: 413422.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bonneau, M., Desmoulin, B. and Dumont, B. L. 1979. Organoleptic quality of meat from entire or castrated male pigs: composition of fat and sexual odour in highly muscled breeds. Annales de Zootechnie 28: 5372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowan, C. A. and Joseph, R. L. 1981. Production and quality of boar and castrate bacon. 2. Consumer and panel responses to bacon and fat samples. Irish Journal of Food Science and Technology 5: 105116.Google Scholar
Desmoulin, B., Bonneau, M., Frouin, A. and Bidard, J. P. 1982. Consumer testing of pork and processed meat from boars: the influence of fat androstenone level. Livestock Production Science 9: 707715.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garcia-regueiro, J. A. and Diaz, I. 1985. Determination of 5a-androst-16-en-one by capillary gas chromatography (CGC) with selective detection ECD. Journal of High Resolution Chromatography and Chromatography Communications 8: 698699.Google Scholar
Griffiths, N. M. and Paitfrson, R. L. S. 1970. Human olfactory responses to 5a-androst-16-ene-3-onc. Principal component of boar taint. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 21: 46.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kempster, A. J., Dilworth, A. W., Evans, D. G. and Fisher, K. D. 1986. The effects of fat thickness and sex on pig meat quality with special reference to the problems associated with overleanness. 1. Butcher and consumer panel results. Animal Production 43: 517533.Google Scholar
Lundstrom, K., Malmfors, B., Fjelknfr-modig, S. and Szatek, A. 1983. Consumer testing of boar meat in Sweden. Swedish Journal of Agricultural Research. 13: 3946.Google Scholar
Malmfors, B. and Lundstrom, K. 1983. Consumer reactions to boar meat — a review. Livestock Production Science 10: 187196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mortensen, A. B. and Sørensfn, S. E. 1984. Relationship between boar taint and skatole determined with a new analysis method. Proceedings of the 30th European Meeting of Meat Research Workers, Bristol, pp. 394396.Google Scholar
Mortenen, A. B., Bjfrhoim, C. and Pfdersen, J. K. 1986. Consumer test of meat from entire males in relation to skatol in backfat. Proceedings of the 32nd European Meeting of Meat Research Workers, Ghent, pp. 2326.Google Scholar
Patterson, R. L. S. 1968. 5a-androst-16-ene-3-one: compound responsible for taint in boar fat. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 19: 3138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Punter, P. H. and Van gemert, L. J. 1984. Onderzoek naar de relatie tusscn de detectie van beregeur en het androstenone-gehalte in berespek. Psychologisch Laboratorium Rijksuniversiteit. Utrecht. (Mimeo).Google Scholar
Rhodes, D. N. 1972. Consumer testing of pork from boar and gilt pigs. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 23: 14831491.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Storm, P. K. 1984. Enzyme immuno assay voor het beregeur-stcroid. 5a-androst-16-en-3-on. Laboratory ABC 5: 3233.Google Scholar
Walstra, P. and Maarsf, H. 1970. Ondezock geslachtsgeur von manncliyke mest varkens. IVOrapport C-147 en rapport No. 2. Researchgroup voor Vlees en Vleeswaren TNO.Google Scholar
Walstra, P., Engiel, B. and Mailman, G. 1986. The androstcnone-skatole dilemma as applied in a consumer test. Proceedings of the 32nd European Meeting of Meat Research Workers, Ghent, pp. 2730.Google Scholar
Wood, J. D., Jones, R. C. D., Francombe, M. A. and Whlllhan, O. P. 1986. The effects of fat thickness and sex on pig meat quality with special reference to the problems associated with overleanness. 2. Laboratory and trained taste panel results. Animal Production 43: 535544.Google Scholar