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Swine
Swine Extension Program
Procedures to Evaluate Pork Composition And Quality
by Wayne F. Gipp MT Extension Swine Specialist
Introduction
The objective of producing hogs is to provide a high
quality pork product for consumers. Evaluation of the
quantity and quality of lean pork in hog carcasses has
been a component of youth swine projects in Montana
for many years. In recent years, the Swine Symbol of
Excellence program has provided a means of collating
the individual county or event data into a statewide
program that recognizes both the youth and the producer
for producing hogs that yield high quality carcasses.
Many livestock evaluation contests also use an estimate
of the amount of high quality lean for ranking live
animals.
The goal of carcass evaluation is to provide producers
the data and knowledge necessary for continued improvement
in the quality of hogs raised. For this to be achieved,
consistent and uniform procedures for evaluation are
required. It is also critical that the definition of
quality and the standards set for quantitative and qualitative
criteria be consistent with consumer and processing
industry requirements.
The procedures and standards used in Montana have been
based on those established by the National Pork Producers
Council (NPPC). A new publication, “Pork Composition
& Quality Assessment Procedures,” presents
the 2000 revisions to the standards and also broadens
the scope of carcass assessment. The publication is
now targeted toward producers, processors, and other
segments of the swine industry and includes a wide range
of subjective (visual) and objective (instrumental)
estimations of lean muscle quantity and quality in live
hogs and in carcasses.
Recognizing that acceptable quantitative or qualitative
standards can vary depending upon the ultimate use of
the pork, minimum acceptable standards are no longer
provided in the publication. Rather, the publication
discusses the various aspects of quality and leaves
it to the user to set the minimum acceptable standards.
The publication has updated the lean prediction equations
based on recent research, expresses lean as “standardized
fat free lean,” which is different from the previous
“lean containing 5% fat,” refines lean color
standards, refines lean marbling standards, and separates,
“firmness” and “wetness” evaluations.
The complete publication is an excellent resource for
all involved in producing hogs or assessing carcass
and pork quality. (Pork Composition & Quality Assessment
Procedures, 2000, edited by Dr. Eric Berg, published
by National Pork Producers Council, Des Moines, Iowa,
(515) 223-2600, , $15.)
Carcass evaluations used for most Montana youth projects
do not need all of the information in the NPPC publication.
Therefore, the information, procedures and formulas
that relate to evaluation of ribbed carcasses (using
the steel backfat ruler and loin eye measuring grids)
are presented in this factsheet. Photographs depicting
color and marbling standards are not included. These
are available from NPPC either as a notebook chart ($1),
wall chart ($10) or as a packet of laminated cards ($32.50).
NOTE: The evaluation procedures, Fat Free Lean Equations,
photos and Quality Standards in this factsheet were
adapted with permission from “Pork Composition
& Quality Assessment Procedures,” published
in 2000 by National Pork Producers Council, Des Moines,
Iowa.
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