Impact of consumer's sensitivity to androstenone on acceptability of meat from entire male pigs in three European countries: France, Spain and United Kingdom.

The aim of this work was to study consumers' acceptance of pork with different levels of boar taint according to their androstenone (AND) sensitivity in France (FR, N=144), Spain (ES, N=101) and United Kingdom (UK, N=147). Samples were classified as 'females', 'detection minus' males (low levels of AND and skatole - SKA) and 'detection plus' males (high levels of AND and SKA). Globally, 22.7% of consumers were high sensitive, 28.3% middle and 49.0% low sensitive or insensitive to AND. Sixty-five percent dislike AND odour. AND disliking was lower in UK than ES and FR. The percentage of consumers that may reject tainted meat was 14.3-41.0%; the risk was lower in UK than ES and FR. The description of AND odour varied according to the degree of sensitivity of the consumers. High AND levels reduced the acceptability of boar meat; medium AND levels could even improve its acceptability compared with low levels, resulting in meat which is as positive as that from females.

Effect of housing system, slaughter weight and slaughter strategy on carcass and meat quality, sex organ development and androstenone and skatole levels in Duroc finished entire male pigs.

This study aimed at evaluating the effect of housing system (HS), slaughter weight (SW) and strategy (SS) on carcass a nd meat quality, sexual organ development and boar taint in entire males. Twelve pens of 10 pigs were used (two trials). Half of male pens were allowed visual contact with females (MF) and half with males (MM). Half MM or MF were slaughtered at 105 or 130 kg in trial 1, or penwise or by split marketing in trial 2 at 120 kg. Housing system showed no significant effect on carcass or meat quality. MF presented significantly longer testicles and heavier bulbourethral glands compared to MM. The distribution of androstenone and skatole levels was affected by SW but not by HS or SS, samples with androstenone >1 µg/g of the different groups falling within the range of 16 to 22%. All correlations between androstenone and sex organs were significant. Housing system and slaughter strategy did not reduce the risk of boar tainted carcasses.

Sensory evaluation of castrated lambs finished on different proportions of pasture and concentrate feeding systems.

Castrated male Corriedale lambs from Uruguay were finished under one of four feeding systems, which differed in the level of pasture and the amount of concentrates. Treatment 1 (T(1)) was all pasture (P), T(2) was P plus concentrate (C; 0.6% of live weight [LW]), T(3) was P+C (1.2% of LW), and T(4) was C plus alfalfa hay as a source of fibre (both ad libitum). A trained taste panel analysed samples from 96 lambs, using a quantitative descriptive method in a complete and balanced design. Eight of the 11 sensory attributes were affected by Treatment (p<0.05). The inclusion of concentrate in the lamb diet improved the sensory quality of the meat, being related to its effect on lowering the intensity of undesirable odours and flavours (strange, rancid and acid), generating higher intensity of typical lamb aromas as well as producing higher tenderness. The frequencies of odour/flavour unsolicited observations also showed disadvantages to pasture feeding. Lambs fed only concentrates (T(4)) produced meat that had the highest fat flavour intensity and the best overall acceptability given by the panellists.