Fresh Pork Quality Assessment by NIRS and NMR: Predicting Eating Quality and Elucidating Relationships with Key...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• The Australian pork industry requires efficient, non-destructive methods for assessing pork quality.
• Predicting chemical composition and sensory attributes is crucial for consumer satisfaction and industry standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) for predicting pork chemical components and eating quality.
• To build predictive models for intramuscular fat (IMF), collagen, pH, and sensory attributes (tenderness, juiciness, flavor liking, overall liking).
• To investigate the influence of chemical components on pork eating quality.

Main Methods:

• Application of NIRS and NMR techniques to pork muscles (Longissimus thoracis etumborum and Semimembranosus).
• Chemical analysis for intramuscular fat (IMF) content, collagen content and solubility, and pH.
• Sensory evaluation of pork tenderness, juiciness, flavor liking, and overall liking.

Main Results:

• NIRS showed correlation with chemically analyzed IMF content.
• NMR parameters (p2f, p21, p22, T22) exhibited weak correlations with IMF, pH, and sensory attributes in specific muscles.
• Collagen content and pH were related to all sensory attributes; IMF was linked to flavor liking.
• Chemical properties between SM and LTL muscles showed weak correlations.

Conclusions:

• NIRS and NMR show promise but currently offer weak predictions for pork chemical components and sensory properties.
• Further studies are necessary to improve the accuracy and reliability of NIRS and NMR for pork quality assessment.
• Understanding the relationships between chemical composition and sensory attributes is vital for optimizing pork production.