Can pale, soft, exudative pork be prevented by postmortem sodium bicarbonate injection?

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Food Science
• Meat Science

Background:

• Pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) pork is a significant quality defect in the pork industry.
• Previous methods like genetic selection and rapid cooling have shown limited success in mitigating PSE pork.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of postmortem sodium bicarbonate (SBC) injection as a novel approach to prevent PSE pork development.
• To determine optimal SBC concentration, timing, and the effect of NaCl inclusion.

Main Methods:

• Halothane-sensitive pigs were used in two experiments.
• Postmortem carcasses received injections of varying concentrations of SBC solutions with or without NaCl at different time points (15 min or 24 h postmortem).
• Muscle quality parameters including ultimate pH, color, drip loss, protein solubility, juiciness, and flavor were assessed.

Main Results:

• SBC injection, particularly at 15 min postmortem with NaCl, significantly improved muscle color, increased ultimate pH, and reduced drip loss compared to controls.
• Early SBC injection (15 min) with NaCl enhanced protein solubility, juiciness, and flavor.
• Injection at 24 h postmortem reduced drip loss but did not fully correct color defects.

Conclusions:

• Early postmortem injection of sodium bicarbonate, especially when combined with NaCl, is a promising method to prevent PSE pork in halothane-sensitive pigs.
• This technique offers a viable strategy to improve meat quality and reduce economic losses associated with PSE pork.