The effects of blast chilling on pork quality

Artur Rybarczyk; Tadeusz Karamucki; Arkadiusz Pietruszka; Kinga Rybak; Beata Matysiak

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.11.006

The effects of blast chilling on pork quality

Meat Sci. 2015 Mar:101:78-82. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.11.006. Epub 2014 Nov 22.

Authors

Artur Rybarczyk¹, Tadeusz Karamucki², Arkadiusz Pietruszka³, Kinga Rybak², Beata Matysiak³

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Food Commodity Sciences, Piastów 45, 70-310 Szczecin, Poland. Electronic address: artur.rybarczyk@zut.edu.pl.
² Institute of Food Commodity Sciences, Piastów 45, 70-310 Szczecin, Poland.
³ Institute of Pig Breeding, Animal Feeding and Food, Doktora Judyma 10, 71-466 Szczecin, Poland.

PMID: 25462383
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.11.006

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of blast chilling of pig carcasses on the physiochemical and sensory properties of the longissimus lumborum muscle. To this end, right half-carcasses were blast-chilled for 70min at -24°C and then for 22h and 50min at 1°C, while left half-carcasses were chilled conventionally at 1°C for 24h. At 2h and 6h post mortem, blast chilling had significantly reduced the temperature of the carcasses, as well as the rate of pH decrease and the rate of increase in EC. It had no significant effect on the ultimate pH or its range, or on EC at 24h post mortem, but it significantly lowered L*, b*, C* and drip loss compared to the conventionally chilled carcasses. Blast chilling adversely affected sensory characteristics such as tenderness and flavor. There were no significant differences between the effects of blast and conventional chilling systems on meat quality between conformation classes.

Keywords: Chilling system; Conformation; Meat quality; Pigs.

MeSH terms

Animals
Cold Temperature*
Color*
Food Handling / methods*
Food Preservation / methods*
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Meat / analysis*
Refrigeration
Stress, Mechanical
Swine
Taste*
Water*

Substances

Water