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Effect of pig growth rate and health status on meat eating quality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2017

D Zammerini*
Affiliation:
University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, United Kingdom
H M Miller
Affiliation:
university of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
D T Marriott
Affiliation:
University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, United Kingdom
R I Richardson
Affiliation:
University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, United Kingdom
F M Whittington
Affiliation:
University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, United Kingdom
J D Wood
Affiliation:
University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Extract

Growth rate is an important performance indicator in pig production and therefore influences profitability. There is also evidence that faster growing pigs have superior tenderness (MLC, 1989), possibly linked to faster muscle protein deposition through the activity and expression of proteolytic enzymes. Slow growth could also result in higher boar taint levels in entire male pigs because they will be older and sexually more mature at slaughter (MLC, 1989). The current project was therefore undertaken to investigate the effect of variations in growth rate on tenderness and boar taint.

Type
Theatre Presentations
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2009

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References

MLC 1989. Pig Development Unit Stotfold. Results from the first trial. Meat and Livestock Commission, Milton Keynes.Google Scholar
Whittington, F.M., Nute, G.R., Hughes, S.I., McGivan, J.D., Lean, I.J., Wood, J.D. and Doran, E. 2004. Relationships between skatole and androstenone accumulation and cytochrome P4502E1 expression in Meishan x Large White pigs. Meat Science, 67, 569–576.Google Scholar