COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE QUALITY OF MEAT AND LARD PRODUCTS OF THREE-WAY CROSSBRED PIGS

Abstract

A comparative assessment analysis of meat and back fat quality of crossbred boars of Duroc (D) and Pietrain (P) breeds, mated with sows obtained from direct and back crossing is presented in the article: the combination of Large White (LW) gilts and Landrace (L) boars and the combination of Landrace (L) gilts and Large White (LW) breed boars. No significant differences were found in the meat active acidity of slaughtered animals in different groups. This indicator was within the 5.69-5.79 unit range and corresponded to the regulatory values. The difference was noted between various groups in the tenderness index, which is connected with using boars of different breeds as the final paternal form. Thus, when using D boars, tenderness values varied from 7.92 to 9.75 sec., while when using P boars, the values of this indicator were within 11.40-11.71 sec. Moisture-retention power indicators were within the normal range for all groups of animals. The animals with ½ D genotype and young stock obtained from the combination of (LW×L) sows with P boars were characterized by insignificant differences in this indicator. Instead, the combination (L×LW)×P was characterized by the lowest moistureretention power values, yielding to the other groups. In comparison with the (L×LW)×D group, this difference was 5.27% and had a significant value (p < 0.05). The combination of (L×LW)×P was characterized by the highest values of cooking loss, surpassing those of the other groups. When compared with the (L×LW)×D group, this difference had a significant value of 3.02% (p < 0.05). The total moisture content in the meat was 73.55 - 74.97%. Regarding ash content, meat samples from pigs with the ½ D genotype, compared with young stock of the ½ P genotype, had lower values of this indicator. The highest values of protein content were in meat samples obtained from young pigs with ½ D genotype. Fat content in the meat of the experimental groups was within 2.14-3.22%, corresponding to physiological standards. According to the results of the tasting analysis, the samples of the longissimus dorsi muscle, back fat, and broth received high appraisal. However, significant differences between the groups were not revealed.