Abstract

This paper presents data published between 1990 and 2009 on pork quality in New Zealand. The characteristics considered are pale, soft and exudative (PSE), dark firm and dry (DFD), boar taint, intramuscular fat (IMF%), chemical composition aspects such as fatty acids profile and flavours other than boar taint. Over the years the incidence of PSE has been reduced from 40% to 6%. The percentage of DFD pork was always below 7%. A level of 2.0% of IMF% is considered as a minimum with respect to palatability. Between 1990 and 2009, reported values for IMF% ranged from 0.98% to 3.36% and tended to decreased over time. Skatole and androstenone are the two major compounds responsible for boar taint. In New Zealand, males are slaughtered “entire”. In 1996 only 19% of them were below the European Community threshold for boar taint. Results from different feeding experiments show that the fatty acid profile, selenium content and flavours other than boar taint, of pork can easily be changed. Overall pork from New Zealand pigs is of a high quality, but the incidence of boar taint is of concern.

PCH, Morel, RW Purchas, and BHP Wilkinson

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 70, Palmerston North, 261-265, 2010