A note on the influence of rearing environment on meat quality in pigs

Pigs of stress-resistant and stress-susceptible breeds were reared either under intensive conditions in bare concrete pens or extensively under environmentally enriched conditions in an outside paddock. They were slaughtered at either 60 or 90 kg live weight. Rearing environment had no effect on the ability of the pigs to respond to the stress of preslaughter handling based on measurements of adrenal ascorbic acid and plasma cortisol. Neither did it influence initial or ultimate pH or the water holding capacity of the meat. Pigs reared outside had thinner backfat and slightly darker meat. The latter was not attributable to differences in haem pigment concentration. Overall, differences due to rearing environment were slight and not commercially important.