THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE DURING LAIRAGE AT THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE ON THE QUALITY OF PORK

Abstract

The aim of the experiment was to assess the impact of different temperature at the slaughterhouse on the pork quality. Two thousand eleven commercial pigs hybrids, weighing 100-130 kg were used in the experiment. Acidity of meat and muscle temperature were assessed 45 minutes after slaughter in Longissimus muscle between the next to last and last thoracic vertebrae (musculus longissimus dorsi, pars thoracic) – pH1 MLD, and the geometric center semimembranosus thigh muscle (musculus semimembranosus) - pH1 MSM. Pigs were divided into groups according to the temperature during housing in slaughterhouse using quartile distribution. As the mean temperature of outer environment increased, the average pH1 MLD (P<0.01) values decreased. With the increase of the average outer temperature of the environment, the temperature of musculus longissimus dorsi MLD (P<0.01) also increased. Average values pH1 MSM were higher in comparison with pH1 MLD values. With average outer temperature increase, the mean value of pH1 MSM decreased. With the growing average outer temperature the average T MSM (P<0.01) increased.