Review
Production systems and influence on eating quality of pork
Michel Bonneau
*
, Bénédicte Lebret
UMR 1079 INRA-Agrocampus Ouest SENAH, Domaine de la Prise, INRA, F-35590 Saint Gilles, France
article info
Article history:
Received 9 March 2009
Accepted 31 March 2009
Keywords:
Pork
Eating quality
Production systems
Pig
abstract
The present paper reviews the available information on the eating quality of pork from the perspective of
production systems considered at farm level. Among the specifications differentiating systems having a
claim on eating quality, breed, feeding strategy, rearing conditions and slaughter age/weight of the pigs
may influence pork eating quality. Specific genetic X environment interactions such as the use of slow
growing-fat local breeds reared in extensive conditions, as encountered in local Mediterranean systems,
lead to high eating quality of pork and pork products Organic production per se has little influence on the
eating quality of pork. Welfare-oriented specifications such as enriched living environment, outdoor
access or free-range rearing have limited consequences on pork quality. Because boar taint negatively
impacts the consumer acceptability of pork, a total ban on castration to improve animal welfare would
be a real challenge for the management of pork quality in those countries where entire male pig produc-
tion is not currently common.
Ó 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Contents
1. Introduction . . . ...................................................................................................... 293
2. Production systems aiming at improving pork eating quality. . ................................................................ 294
2.1. Differentiation on breed for improved eating quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...................................................... 294
2.1.1. High performing breeds . . . . . .............................................................................. 294
2.1.2. Local breeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .............................................................................. 295
2.2. Differentiation on feeding and rearing conditions for improved eating quality . . . . . . . . . . . ................................... 295
2.2.1. Feeding as a tool to improve pork eating quality. . . . ........................................................... 295
2.2.2. Rearing conditions to improve pork eating quality . . ........................................................... 296
3. Organic pig production . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................................................................... 296
4. Welfare oriented pig production systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................................................ 296
4.1. Welfare-oriented specifications aiming at reducing stress and enriching the living environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................ 296
4.2. The piglet castration issue: alternatives to surgical castration without anaesthesia . . . . . . . ................................... 296
4.2.1. Boar taint .............................................................................................. 297
4.2.2. Other differences between entire male and castrated male pigs for eating quality attributes . . . . . . ..................... 297
5. Conclusion . . . . ...................................................................................................... 297
References . . . . ...................................................................................................... 298
1. Introduction
The aim of the present paper is to review the available informa-
tion in order to assess the extent to which the eating quality of pork
can be affected and/or controlled by production systems. By ‘‘eating
quality” we mean here the sensory attributes of pork: odour, flavour,
tenderness and juiciness, or the main physical and biochemical
parameters that are associated with these attributes: pH, shear
force, water holding capacity, intramuscular fat content, ...Produc-
tion systems have been established with specifications aiming at
improving the eating quality of pork. Other production systems have
been built with the objective of improving some other dimension of
societal importance, e.g., animal welfare, but the associated specifi-
cations may impact the eating quality of pork. Although eating qual-
ity is not the basic claim for differentiation in organic production,
consumers are often convinced that the eating quality of organically
produced animals is improved (Edwards, 2005).
0309-1740/$ - see front matter Ó 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2009.03.013
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +33 2 23 48 53 64; fax: +33 2 23 48 59 00.
E-mail address: michel.bonneau@rennes.inra.fr (M. Bonneau).
Meat Science 84 (2010) 293–300
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Meat Science
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/meatsci