Effects of preslaughter management on the quality of carcasses from porcine stress syndrome heterozygous market hogs.

The objectives of this study were to determine whether two preslaughter management treatments, rest and mixing, influence the muscle quality of porcine stress syndrome (PSS) heterozygous (Nn) market hogs and to verify the expected quality characteristics of carcasses produced from PSS-normal (NN) and PSS-susceptible (nn) animals. Twenty-nine Nn, 14 NN, and 9 nn market hogs were randomly assigned to preslaughter handling treatments. One-half of the animals in each genotype group received 16 h of rest before slaughter, and the remaining pigs were slaughtered immediately upon arrival at the Iowa State University Meat Laboratory. Within each group, half of the Nn animals were mixed with unfamiliar pigs during transport and lairage. Length, backfat, and loin muscle area (LMA) were not affected by mixing and rest treatment. The carcasses from nn pigs had less fat (P < .05) measured at the 10th rib (off midline) and last lumbar vertebra (midline) and possessed larger LMA than carcasses from NN pigs. Heterozygous pigs were intermediate for most carcass traits. Carcass pH values among heterozygous groups were not significantly different, except that the rested animals had higher ultimate pH values (P < .01) and higher 45-min pH values. Resting had no effect on pH of NN or nn pigs. The 45-min pH values of nn carcasses were lower (P < .01) than those of NN carcasses, but ultimate pH values were similar. Values of unrested Nn animals were between those of NN and nn genotypes but with rest approached values of NN pigs. Loin muscle Minolta-Y and Hunter-L values from unrested Nn animals were higher ( P < .05) than those of rested Nn animals. Mixing did not influence these traits. The longissimus muscle lipid content was not influenced by treatment but differed among genotypes (P < .01). Glycogen levels of rested Nn animals tended to be lower than those of NN animals and approached those of nn pigs. Mixing of Nn animals resulted in higher (P < .05) chewiness scores of cooked loin chops. No significant cooking loss or InstronTM tenderness differences were observed between the PSS-Nn treatment groups. Even though 16 h of rest before slaughter improved the color and water-holding capacity of Nn pigs, effects were small and were much less than those that were due to the PSS gene.