Evaluation and Control of Meat Quality in Pigs

Session I: Aetiology of the Porcine Stress Syndrome.- The physiology and biochemistry of the porcine stress syndrome.- Calcium releasing systems in mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum with respect to the aetiology of malignant hyperthermia: A review.- Contraction and metabolism traits in skeletal muscle biopsies from halothane positive pigs as studied by mechanical measurements and 3lp NMR.- Malignant hyperthermia: neurochemical aspects.- Thyroid function in the aetiology of the PSE condition.- Hormonal implications in malignant hyperthermia and the porcine stress syndrome.- Further aspects of electrolyte metabolism in relation to malignant hyperthermia and the porcine stress syndrome.- Implications of the porcine stress syndrome for animal welfare.- Discussion.- Session II: The Evaluation of Pork Quality.- Methods for evaluation of neat quality in research and practice/ used in member states of the European Community.- Experience in measuring the meat quality of stress susceptible pigs.- How to measure the water-holding capacity of meat? Recommendation of standardized methods.- Remote monitoring of postmortem metabolism in pork carcasses.- The relationship between slaughterline and 24-hour measurement of pig meat colour and light scattering by the use of Hennessy Grading and Fibre Optic Probes.- PSE detection using a modified MS Tester compared with other measurements of meat quality on the slaughterline.- Evaluation of meat quality by measurement of electrical conductivity.- The measurement of light scattering properties at 45 minutes postmortem for prediction of pork quality.- Evaluation of meat quality characteristics in Italian heavy pigs.- Meat quality in progeny test pigs in Northern Ireland.- Discussion.- Session III: Control of Meat Quality in Transport, Lairage, Slaughter and Chilling.- The effect of time and conditions of transport and lairage on pig meat quality.- Effect of stunning on carcass and meat quality.- The influence of chilling on meat quality attributes of fast glycolysing pork muscles.- Discussion.- Session IV: Control of Meat Quality in Breeding and Selection.- Inclusion of meat quality criteria in the aggregate genotype to prevent deterioration of meat quality in the Danish pig breeding programme.- The halothane test in inproving meat quality.- Selection against PSS by means of blood typing.- Crossbreeding and meat quality in pigs.- A molecular genetic approach to the porcine stress syndrome.- A national programme on factors affecting pigmeat quality.- Porcine malignant hyperthermias dose/response to halothane.- The importance of reaction intensity in the halothane test.- Results of crossbreeding experiments using meat type boars and stress resistant sows.- Evaluation of some qualitative characteristics of seasoned ham in eight pig genetic types.- Eating quality of seasoned ham in eight pig genetic types.- The quality in Parma hams as related to halothane reactivity.- Research on stress susceptibility in Belgian pig populations? influence on zootechnical parameters and the practical use of blood marker systems.- Glycolytic potential, halothane sensitvity and meat quality in various pig breeds.- Meat quality in the Duroc breed.- Session V: Conclusions.- Report on Session I.- Report on Session II.- Report on Session III.- Report on Session IV.- Summary.- List of Participants.