Calibration of visible and near-infrared spectral imaging technology to predict the quality evolution of retail fresh pork bellies with different fat content.

This study investigates quality changes occurred in sliced pork belly with different fat content during refrigerated storage, and the potential of spectral imaging technology in predicting quality properties. Pork bellies with different fat levels (low 'LF', medium 'MF' and high 'HF') were selected from slaughtering houses and directly transferred to the laboratory. The sliced bellies were packed in modified atmosphere packages with high oxygen levels (80 %) and the essential visual and olfactory characteristics, microbiological load, pH, lipid oxidation and colour values were assessed throughout 20 days of refrigerated storage.

Breast myopathy co-occurrence and its impact on carcass and meat quality attributes in broiler chickens.

Wooden breast (WB), spaghetti meat (SM) and white striping (WS) are significant research focuses due to their impact on meat quality. This study examines the relationship between different myopathies in chickens from a commercial slaughterhouse and compares physicochemical traits between breasts with single and multiple myopathies and control (CO-no apparent myopathy). A total of 240 breasts were evaluated for myopathy presence, severity and location, and physicochemical parameters (i.

Consumer animal welfare and healthy perception of fresh sausages' fiber fat replaced and elaborated with meat from non-castrated male pigs.

Although replacement of fat with fiber is a good strategy to avoid boar taint on high-fat content products, as sausages, the final purchase intention is related to other external factors such as welfare and healthiness. So, the aim of this study was to evaluate the consumers' perception of sausages with fat replaced by fiber, elaborated with meat from non-castrated male pigs, and to determine the influence of the consumers' habits and demographic parameters on their beliefs related to pig castration. An online survey was carried out.

Pork quality and histological properties of longissimus muscle from boars and early and late immunocastrated pigs.

Immunocastration has been introduced in pig production to reduce boar taint. However, there is not much information on how different schedule of immunocastration affects meat quality, especially muscle histological properties. In this study, carcass and meat quality characteristics, histological properties of the longissimus dorsi muscle, sensory characteristics and fatty acid composition of meat and fat from entire males (EM), late immunocastrated (LIC, first dose 8 weeks before slaughter, second dose 4 weeks before slaughter) and early immunocastrated pigs (EIC, first dose 13 weeks before slaughter, second dose 8 weeks before slaughter) were compared.

Visible and near-infrared spectral imaging combined with robust regression for predicting firmness, fatness, and compositional properties of fresh pork bellies.

Belly is a widely consumed pork product with very variable properties. Meat industry needs real-time quality assessment for maintaining superior pork quality throughout the production. This study explores the potential of using visible and near-infrared (VNIR,386-1015 nm) spectral imaging for predicting firmness, fatness and chemical compositional properties in pork belly samples, offering robust spectral calibrations.