Relationship between water-holding capacity and intramuscular fat content in Japanese commercial pork loin

The relationship between water-holding capacity (WHC) and intermuscular fat (IMF) was studied in Japanese commercial pork.

Longissimus muscles of pigs (n = 62), obtained from two meat packing plants, were analyzed for IMF content, moisture content, drip loss, cooking loss, and pH. Pairwise relationships among these traits were determined using correlation analyses.

IMF content was significantly correlated with moisture content (r = -0.88; p<0.01) and pH (r = 0.32; p<0.05), but not with drip loss (r = -0.23; p = 0.07) or cooking loss (r = -0.10; p = 0.42). In contrast, drip loss was significantly (and negatively) correlated with pH (r = -0.57; p<0.01).

IMF content was not significantly correlated with WHC in pork, and so ultimately, we consider pH to be one of the most important factors influencing WHC in pork meat.