Rationalization of pig production : consequences on meat quality

Abstract

Pork is the first meat consumed in France. Total production has doubled since the 1960’s, due to a sustained policy in favour of pig production. Since then, the pig sector has changed considerably. Technical performance has greatly improved, in particular prolificacy, growth rate of pigs, and carcass lean meat content. This has been possible due to the substantial progress made in the fields of genetics and animal nutrition. Pig production has thus succeeded in satisfying the increasing market demand for inexpensive pork meat. However, it is now accused of reducing meat quality.

This article describes the different components of carcass and meat quality traits and the consequences of increased pig productivity on these qualities. The main points are the significant improvement in carcass lean meat content, and the identification of two major genes affecting pork meat quality (HAL and RN), and the eradication of the unfavourable alleles, n (in populations used as maternal lines) and RN^-. The meat quality index, which has been included in breeding goals for 20 years, has not deteriorated over this period in the different pig breeds used in the selection schemes in France. An estimation of the realised genetic trends in French Large White pigs from 1977 to 1998 shows a decrease in ultimate pH and in the cooking yield of meat, whereas the intramuscular fat content, which plays a major role in pork sensory quality, has not decreased over this period. The quality of back fat for processing into cured products has decreased, but this problem can be resolved by modifying the composition of the animal diet. In conclusion, the rationalization of pig production has improved carcass quality, without harmful consequences on eating and technological meat quality traits in the breeds commonly used in conventional pig production. Moreover, this has led to an improvement of the technological and sensory traits of meat issued from genotypes that exhibited a high frequency of the n and RN alleles.