Pork carcass composition: II. Use of indicator cuts for predicting carcass composition.

Right sides of 30 pork carcasses were fabricated into indicator cuts (Boston butt, picnic, anterior belly, posterior belly, anterior loin, posterior loin, and ham) and used to determine carcass composition by physical dissection and chemical analysis of soft tissue. Linear measures and chemical composition of whole-side grind were collected from left sides. Dissection of indicator cuts to predict dissectable composition of the side were much better indicators than linear measures (R2 = .70 to .94). Chemical analyses of soft tissue (lean + lipid) from the loin and anterior belly were better predictors of fat-free lean and extractable lipid composition of the side than linear measures; 89% of the variation in dissectable lean of the side was explained by the use of dissectable components of the anterior loin. The loin served as the best overall indicator cut across the various end points evaluated; 92% of the variation in dissectable lean of the side was explained using dissectable components of the shoulder. The anterior belly was a good indicator for percentage of dissectable lean, fat, fat-free lean, and extractable lipid.