Abstract

TARCZYHS KI, K. et al. pH measured 24 hours post mortem should not be regarded as ultimate pH in pork meat quality evaluation. S. Afr. j. anim. sci. [online]. 2018, vol.48, n.6, pp.1009-1016. ISSN 2221-4062.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/sajas.v48i6.2.

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic values of two methods in pork meat quality evaluation, that is, Method I: pH₁ and pH₂₄ and Method II: electrical conductivity (EC₂) and pH₂₄, which included pH₂₄, and their modifications, that is, Method III: pH₁ and pH₄₈ and Method IV: EC₂ and pH₄₈, which included pH48 measurement. Five meat quality classes, namely reddish-pink, firm and non-exudative (RFN), high quality (HQ), pale, soft and exudative (PSE), dark, firm and dry (DFD) and acid meat (AM) were assessed in four even-numbered genetic groups of 40 fatteners each, namely (LxY)xD-A, (LxY)xD-EB, (LxY)xH and (LxY)x(DxP). The change of diagnostic method and therefore pH time measurement from 24 hours to 48 hours post mortem caused a major increase in the percentage of acid meat (AM) that was diagnosed. Most differences were observed in (LxY)xH fatteners, namely 77.5% between Methods I and III and 75% between Methods II and IV. This increase in AM frequency indicates that as a result of significant changes in the post-mortem metabolism that occur in the meat ageing process pH48 should be regarded as ultimate pH (pHu).

Keywords : Acid meat; fatteners; post-mortem muscle metabolism.

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