QUALITY OF MEAT FROM DIFFERENT GENETIC ORIGINS PIGS

Studies indicate that quality parameters of pork and processed pork products can be improved by crossing commercial lines with local rustic breeds, such as the Moura breed. The Moura breed was formed in southern Brazil, having as main characteristics its rusticity, prolificacy, carcass length and marbling in the meat. Know the quality of meat of animals of Moura breed, as well as its crossbreeding with synthetic animals is important and necessary. Thus was evaluate the quality of Longissimus dorsi from different genetic origins pig under the same management and feeding conditions. Eighteen samples of Longissimus dorsi were obtained from 18 slaughtered pigs with same characteristics of weight and age. Being six animals of each genetic origin: pure Moura (♂Moura x ♀Moura); ½ Moura blood (♂MS115 x ♀Moura) and commercial type hybrids (♂MS115 x ♀F1). During the rearing period the animals were kept in the same stalls and feeding system. When the animals reached an average weight of 80 kg, they were sent to the slaughterhouse to obtain Longissimus dorsi samples to evaluate pH 45 minutes, pH 24 hours, water retention capacity, cooking losses and shear force. The results were submitted to analyses of variance, and, in case of significant effect of genetic origins, the means were compared by the Tukey test at 5% probability. The genetic origin of the pigs determined significant differences in pH 45 minutes, loss in cooking and shear force of Longissimus dorsi, and the muscles from Moura animals (42,75%) presented higher loss in cooking (P <0.05) and higher shear force (2,80 kgf) (P <0.05) compared to that from commercial hybrid animals (2,02 kgf). In pigs kept under the same rearing and feeding system, genetic origin interferes with meat tenderness.