Running head: factors that influence pork quality raising pigs but producing pork

Dustin. Boler

Pork quality can be difficult to define because consumer preference may vary within and across consumer groups. As an example, consumers in some countries tend to prefer pork that is dark in color and highly marbled. In other countries, consumers prefer a lighter colored lean with less sub⁃cutaneous fat and marbling. In general, quality can be defined as being meeting certain criteria with less variation. The challenge becomes defining the criteria. Further, pork quality is actually a term that encompasses a multifactorial set of parameters that can be affected by things that occur on the farm such as genotype or genetic background of the pig, seasonality of which the pigs are raised, housing conditions, and diet. Things that occur during the transition from the farm to the abattoir and while at the abattoir just prior to slaughter can also affect pork quality. These factors can include transport dis⁃tance, lairage time, stunning method, and chilling rate. Finally, factors that occur during postmortem aging of the meat products can also influence pork quality. Because so many factors can impact pork quality, identifying a single factor to focus on as a means to improve quality can prove difficult. Many of the traits used to define quality are related to other characteristics/traits.