'Scharrel' (free range) pigs: Carcass composition, meat quality and taste-panel studies

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Food Science
• Meat Science

Background:

• Consumer demand for ethically raised meat is increasing.
• Understanding the impact of different farming systems on meat quality is crucial.
• Scharrel (free-range) pig farming is an alternative to intensive systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare carcass conformation, meat quality, and sensory characteristics of free-range and intensively raised pigs.
• To analyze fatty acid profiles of backfat in relation to feeding and farming systems.
• To evaluate the impact of farming systems on meat quality attributes.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of 80 free-range and 80 intensively raised pigs.
• Post-mortem measurements: hot carcass weight, HGP, pH, FOP, and intrathoracic fat.
• Meat quality analysis: marbling, color, drip loss, cooking loss, and Warner-Bratzler shear force.
• Sensory analysis using taste panels.
• Fatty acid profiling of backfat and feed ration analysis.

Main Results:

• Overall meat quality was not significantly different between the two groups.
• Slightly higher Warner-Bratzler shear force values in free-range pigs, not reflected in panel tenderness scores.
• Minor, inconsistent differences in taste and smell noted by the analytical panel.
• Increased linolenic acid content observed in the backfat of free-range pigs.

Conclusions:

• Free-range farming systems do not significantly alter overall meat quality compared to intensive systems.
• Fatty acid profiles, specifically higher linolenic acid, may differ between systems.
• Further research is needed to clarify sensory differences and their implications.