Pork ham and belly quality can be estimated from loin quality measurements?

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the relationships between the quality evaluation of loin and the quality evaluation of ham and belly from the same carcasses for trying to predict the quality parameters of ham and belly based on measurements made on the loin. The research material consisted of 105 pork carcasses, from which three elements were cut and marked: loin, ham and belly. Quality evaluation included: pH, color, water holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss (CL), and sensory analysis. All designated quadratic equations were characterized by low R² values from 0.06 to 0.43 for ham and from 0.00 to 0.28 for belly. However, it is possible to predict the quality parameters of ham or belly with different levels of accuracy (R² from 0.50 to 0.92 - depending on the measurement and the element), using measurements selected from all those tested on the loin. Those loin quality measurements most frequently used in equations were chewiness and CL.

Keywords: Belly; Estimation; Ham; Loin; Pork; Quality.