Effect of Carcass Chilling Method on the Meat Quality Characteristics of M. Longissimus dorsi from Pig

This research was conducted to investigate the effect of carcass chilling method on the meat quality characteristics of the porcine longissimus dorsi muscle. Thirty-five heads of castrated pigs were assigned to four groups according to different chilling methods (T1: –15°C for 40 min → –2°C for 15 h 50 min; T2: –25°C for 1 h 30 min → –2°C for 15 h; T3: 4°C for 16 h 30 min; T4: –2°C). After chilling, M. longissimus dorsi was collected from carcasses and utilized for quality measurement. At the end of chilling, the internal temperatures of loin and hind leg in T1, T2, and T4 were below 5°C. Total plate count, coliform, and Staphylococcus spp. of carcass did not differ significantly among chilling methods. Meat pH value and water-holding capacity were higher (p<0.05) in T4 than in T1 and T3. Cooking loss and Warner-Bratzler shear force value were not significantly different among all groups. Regarding meat color, T3 and T4 exhibited lower (p<0.05) b* and h° compared to T1. These findings suggest that chilling at –2°C could be the most suitable method for improving pork quality.