Mechanisms controlling pork quality development: The biochemistry controlling postmortem energy metabolism

Pale, soft and exudative (PSE) pork represents considerable economic losses for the industry due to its limited functionality and undesirable appearance. During the past several decades, exhaustive research covering various aspects of the food chain has established genotyping procedures, recommended handling practices, and quality indicators in order to reduce the incidence of inferior pork quality. Despite these efforts, there is still a relatively high occurrence of PSE pork. Development of pork quality attributes is largely governed by the rate and extent of postmortem pH decline. The combination of high temperature at low pH or abnormally low ultimate pH causes denaturation of sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins, resulting in paler color and reduced water holding capacity. The pH decline is closely related to muscle energy availability and demand at or around slaughter. The postmortem degradation of glycogen through glycogenolysis and glycolysis provides ATP to help meet energy demand and decreases pH by generating lactate and H+. Therefore, the flux of metabolites through glycolysis, the involvement of energy signaling pathways that modulate glycolytic activity, and the inherent metabolism of different fiber types are critical factors influencing pH decline and pork quality. Further, recent work implicates adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) as a major energy sensor for the cell, and thus may be involved in the control of postmortem metabolism. The intent of this paper is to review the biochemistry controlling postmortem energy metabolism in pig muscle and explore new information generated using genetic mutations in order to define the fundamental mechanisms controlling the transformation of muscle to meat.