Examining Committee
Dr. Massimo Marcone, Chair
Dr. Ira Mandell, Advisor
Dr. Benjamin Bohrer, Co-Advisor
Dr. Shai Barbut, Department Member

TITLE: COMPARISON OF MULTIPLE TECHNIQUES TO DETERMINE SALEABLE LEAN YIELD IN PORK CARCASSES

ABSTRACT:Pork grading is a feedback system that provides limited information to producers for helping them market lean carcasses at an optimum weight for increasing financial returns for both producers and packing plants. This study evaluated use of an advanced ultrasonic system (AutoFom III) for pork grading in order to acquire more information about carcass quality than the current system using the Destron PG-100 probe to evaluate carcasses at only one site. Use of AutoFom III improved accuracy for determining carcass lean yield with the advantage of accurately predicting whole shoulder and loin weights compared to grading with the Destron PG100. The study also examined the relationships between longissimus muscle (loin) ultimate pH and colour measurements with corresponding values for muscles from the ham and shoulder. Dependent on the individual muscle, loin colour and pH are generally not good predictors of pH and colour for muscles in the shoulder and ham.