[Studies on the muscle meat quality of swine. 3. Significance of meat temperature with special reference to transport forms].

Pork temperatures of M. longissimus were recorded from 1,010 pigs transported in different ways 45 minutes post mortem, with the following results having been obtained: 1. Following conventional transport, pork values were significantly higher than they had been following container transport (37.8 degrees C or 36.8 degrees C). 2. Pork values were clearly influenced by driving into the slaughterhouse, high ambient temperatures, and additional environment-borne effects prevalent on the day of slaughter. Genetic configurations, transport, and rest periods, on the other hand, proved of minor importance. 3. Pork temperature was found to be unsuitable for any characterisation of pork quality, since only unimportant correlations existed with juice retention and colour brightness, and secured relationships were found to exist merely with the pH-value. 4. Changes in rectal temperature and respiratory frequency following conventional transport were slightly stronger than those following container transport. Both of them were normalised after one or two hours and are well suitable for an assessment of preceding transport stress.