Effects of the halothane genotype and slaughter weight on texture of pork

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the halothane (HAL) genotype, slaughter weight (SW), and the HAL x SW interaction on compositional and textural traits of raw and cooked pork. Pigs were bred to exhibit one of the three HAL genotypes (NN, Nn, and nn) with otherwise equivalent genomes. The nn halothane reactors are known to typically produce PSE pork, whereas NN pigs do not typically produce PSE pork. Pietrain x Large White gilts and boars, all with verified Nn genotype (by DNA test), were mated to obtain F2 littermates of the three HAL genotypes. These pigs were slaughtered at either 101 +/- 3 ("light") or 127 +/- 3 ("heavy") kg BW and were evaluated for longissimus muscle traits. The pH at .5 h after death (pH1) was 6.35, 6.13, and 5.68 in NN, Nn, and nn pigs, respectively. Sarcomere length was greater in nn than in NN and Nn pigs (1.94 vs 1.83 and 1.85 microm, respectively). Mechanical resistance was higher in nn than in NN pigs for both raw and cooked meat. Meat from nn pigs was judged by a trained panel to be less rough, more cohesive, harder, more fibrous, less granular, more elastic, and less easy to swallow than meat from NN pigs. For most traits under study, the heterozygotes were intermediate between the homozygotes but closer to NN than to nn pigs. Muscle from heavy pigs had longer sarcomeres and less moisture than muscle from light pigs. The n allele of the HAL gene unfavorably affects pork texture, and this effect is maintained throughout the range of 101 to 127 kg BW.