• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2011

This study was designed to determine the effect of season and split-sex feeding on performance, stress and carcass quality of finishing pigs. Two hundred and seventy cross-bred finishing pigs $(82.1{\pm}0.82kg)$ were randomly divided into six groups in 2 seasons (summer and winter) ${\times}$ 3 split-sex feeding (female only, castrated male and mixed) factorial arrangement of treatments. In winter, feed intake and weight gain of finishing pigs were better than summer (p<0.05). Split-sex feeding was affected the feed conversion, feed conversion of finishing pigs were superior in winter and mixed groups. Plasma concentrations of cortisol as a stress indicators was greater in the mixed groups vs female only and castrated male groups. There were no interactions between the season and split-sex feeding in their effects on these blood variables. The season was affected the carcass characteristics and PSE incidence of the finishing pigs, PSE incidence was low in winter and mixed groups. Meat quality did not show any significant difference due to the difference of season and split-sex feeding of finishing pigs. There was no significant difference in the pH, drip loss and meat color of pork loin between the season and split-sex feeding of finishing pigs. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that we need more precise on-farm management practice in summer and application of split-sex feeding skills to reduce the stress and improve welfare status of finishing pigs.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.353-364
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• 2022

The present study aimed to assess the feasibility of increasing the slaughter weight (SW) of non-lean finishing pigs to improve their meat quality. A total of 36 (Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc gilts and barrows were slaughtered at 115 (Av), 125 (Hi), or 135 (XHi) kg, followed by physicochemical analyses and sensory evaluation on their longissimus dorsi (LD) and Semimembranosus (SM) muscles. Backfat thickness was greater (p < 0.05) for the XHi (31.2 mm) and Hi (29.3 mm) groups than for Av (25.0 mm). Dressing percentage and yield of the belly per whole carcass were also slightly greater for XHi and Hi vs. Av. The intramuscular fat (IMF) content of SM was greater for XHi (2.64%) than for Av (1.83%) and Hi (2.04%) and also was correlated with SW (r = 0.55). The pH value, lightness, redness, drip loss, shear force, and moisture and protein contents of LD and SM, as well as IMF content of LD, were unaffected by SW. Percentages of 14:0, 16:0, and total saturated fatty acids (FA) were less for Hi and XHi vs. Av in SM, those of total unsaturated FA, 18:2, 20:4, and n-6 being opposite; FA composition of LM was not influenced by SW except for a reduced 18:0 percentage for XHi vs. Av. The sensory score was less for XHi vs. Av for odor in fresh LD and SM, and less for Hi and XHi vs. Av for aroma in fresh LM; scores for color, drip loss, marbling, and acceptability were unaffected by SW. As for cooked muscles, none of the scores for color, aroma, flavor, juiciness, tenderness, and acceptability was affected by SW, except for a greater LD color score for Hi and XHi vs. Av. Collectively, the results suggested that the increased yield of the carcass and belly due to increased SW is outbalanced negatively by excessive backfat deposition in production efficiency, whereas the SW increase exerts little influence on overall sensory quality of fresh or cooked meat. Production of non-lean market pigs overweighing 115 kg therefore will be uneconomical unless consumers pay a substantial premium for the over-fattened pork.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.133-139
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between color grade in Korea Institute for Animal Products Quality Evaluation (KAPE) and instrumental color values ($L^*$, $a^*$, $b^*$, ${\Delta}C$ and H) in porcine longissimus dorsi muscle. A total of 538 pigs were selected to classify and to measure the instrumental color values from commercial public slaughter house. All of the instrumental color traits were decreased with increase of color grade (p<0.05). The color grade 1 group had the highest $L^*$ value (65.23) and the color grade 6 group had the lowest $L^*$ value (45.29) among the color grade groups (p<0.05). The color grade had the negative correlation with all the instrumental color traits (p<0.001) and the correlation coefficient between color grade and $L^*$ value was -0.83. In conclusion, instrumental color traits is highly related to color grade, and especially $L^*$ value is an important indicator for both porcine carcass grading and color grading systems in KAPE.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.459-470
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• 2007

Domestically, finishing pigs are marketed at 110 kg on an average. However, it is thought to be feasible to increase the market weight to 120kg or greater without decreasing the carcass quality, because most domestic pigs for pork production have descended from lean-type lineages. The present study was undertaken to investigate the growth efficiency and profitability of ‘high’-market wt pigs and the physicochemical characteristics and consumers' acceptability of the high-wt carcass. A total of 96 (Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc-crossbred gilts and barrows were fed a finisher diet ad laibtum in 16 pens beginning from 90-kg BW, after which the animals were slaughtered at 110kg (control) or ‘high’ market wt (135 and 125kg in gilts & barrows, respectively) and their carcasses were analyzed. Average daily gain and gain:feed did not differ between the two sex or market wt groups, whereas average daily feed intake was greater in the barrow and high market wt groups than in the gilt and 110-kg market wt groups, respectively(P<0.01). Backfat thickness of the high-market wt gilts and barrows corrected for 135 and 125-kg live wt, which were 23.7 and 22.5 mm, respectively, were greater (P<0.01) than their corresponding 110-kg counterparts(19.7 & 21.1 mm). Percentages of the trimmed primal cuts per total trimmed lean (w/w), except for that of loin, differed statistically (P<0.05) between two sex or market wt groups, but their numerical differences were rather small. Crude protein content of the loin was greater in the high vs. 110-kg market group (P<0.01), but crude fat and moisture contents and other physicochemical characteristics including the color of this primal cut were not different between the two sexes or market weights. Aroma, marbling and overall acceptability scores were greater in the high vs. 110-kg market wt group in sensory evaluation for fresh loin (P<0.01); however, overall acceptabilities for cooked loin, belly and ham were not different between the two market wt groups. Marginal profits of the 135- and 125-kg high-market wt gilt and barrow relative to their corresponding 110-kg ones were approximately -35,000 and 3,500 wons per head under the current carcass grading standard and price. However, if it had not been for the upper wt limits for the A- and B-grade carcasses, marginal profits of the high market wt gilt and barrow would have amounted to 22,000 and 11,000 wons per head, respectively. In summary, 120～125-kg market pigs are likely to meet the consumers' preference better than the 110-kg ones and also bring a profit equal to or slightly greater than that of the latter even under the current carcass grading standard. Moreover, if only the upper wt limits of the A- & B-grade carcasses were removed or increased to accommodate the high-wt carcass, the optimum market weights for the gilt and barrow would fall upon their target weights of the present study, i.e. 135 and 125 kg, respectively.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.295-303
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• 2005

A total of 120 pigs were used to investigate the effect of feeding probiotics on physico-chemical properties and sensory evaluation of pork loin. About 50kg pigs were randomly alloted into one of six experimental diet groups (C1:commercial diet feed the gilt; C2:commercial diet feed the barrow; T1:$0.5\%$ YC2000 feed the gilt T2:$0.5\%$ YC2000 feed the barrow; T3:$0.1\%$ YC2000 + $0.3\%$ KBC1121 feed the gilt; T4:$0.1\%$ YC2000 + $0.3\%$ KBC1121 feed the barrow). Pigs were slaughtered at approximately 110kg live weight. Crude fat and crude ash were not difference among the treatments. However, water content was higher in T1 and T2 compared to other treatment and the protein level of T3 was higher than those of other treatments. All of dietary probiotic groups showed higher pH compared to control. Especially, pH of T1 and T2 were higher among the dietary probiotic groups. Cholesterol level of dietary probiotic groups were lower compared to control. In meat color, $a^{*}$ was higher in T1 and $b^{*}$ was lower in T2 compared to other treatments. In sensory evaluation of cooked meat, aroma, flavor, tenderness, juiciness and overall palatability were higher in control, whereas T3 and T4 showed higher score in tenderness, juiciness and overall palatability. T3 had higher myristic acid. palmitoleic acid and oleic acid, whereas arachidonic acid was lower in T3. In conclusion, dietary probiotic groups were much better than other treatments in cholesterol, color, tenderness and juiciness. But drip loss of dietary probiotic groups showed higher due to lower pH compared to control.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.1021-1029
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• 2013

To investigate the effect of dietary chromium (Cr) as Cr methionine (CrMet) on growth performance, carcass traits, pork quality, meat colour and expression of meat colour-related genes in growing-finishing pigs, 189 crossbred Duroc${\times}$(Landrace${\times}$Yorkshire) growing-finishing pigs (male, castrated, average initial BW $74.58{\pm}1.52$ kg) were selected and randomly allocated into four groups. Dietary treatments per kg of feed were as follows: 0 (CT), 0.3 mg/kg (T1), 0.6 mg/kg (T2) and 0.9 mg/kg (T3) Cr (in the form of CrMet; as-fed basis), and each treatment was replicated five times with 8 to 10 pigs per replicate pen. During the 28 d of the experiment, both the ADG and the ADFI increased linearly (p<0.05) as the level of dietary Cr increased. The F/G ratio decreased linearly (p<0.05). As dietary Cr increased, loin muscle areas (linear, p = 0.013) and average backfat thickness (linear, p = 0.072) decreased. Shear force (linear, p = 0.070) and Commission Internationale de I'$\acute{E}$clairage (CIE) redness (quadratic, p = 0.028) were increased. In addition, CIE Lightness (quadratic, p = 0.053) were decreased as dietary Cr increased. As dietary Cr increased, total myglobin (Mb) content (quadratic, p = 0.015) and the mb mRNA levels (quadratic, p = 0.046) in longissimus muscles of pigs were up-regulated. In conclusion, supplementation of dietary Cr improved growth and meat colour, but increased shear force and decreased IMF reduced palatability of longissimus muscles. Moreover, the increasing total Mb content and mb mRNA levels indicated that CrMet dietary supplementation may improve meat colour via up-regulating expression of the mb gene.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.44-49
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• 2004

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of non-specific immuno-stimulator(NIS) supplementation on growth performance and carcass characteristics in finishing pigs. A total of eighty[Duroc${\times}$Yorkshir${\times}$Landrace] pigs(60.55${\pm}$3.72 kg in average initial body weight) were used for a 9-week assay. Dietary treatments included as follows 1) CON(basal diet), 2) NIS1(basal diet for 6 weeks and 0.05% NIS for 3 weeks), 3) NIS2(basal diet for 3 weeks and 0.05% NIS for 6 weeks) and 4) NIS3(0.05% NIS for 9 weeks). Average daily gain during the feeding period was not significantly different among the treatments (p>0.05). However, average daily feed intake was higher in NIS2 than CON(p<0.05). Backfat thickness did not differ among the treatments(p>0.05). The appearance rate of A or B carcass grade was much higher in NIS1 (58%) and NIS3 (75%) than CON(50%) and NIS2(50%). L＊(lightness) value of loin was higher in NIS1 and NIS3 than CON and NIS2. However, there was no effect by dietary NIS(p>0.05). Although a＊(redness) value of loin was lower in CON than other treatments, there was no significant difference among the treatments(p>0.05). No remarkable differences were found in sensory properties(marbling, firmness and color) among the treatments. The results from the present study suggest that NIS could be an effective feed additive to improve pork quality. However, further research is needed to investigate effect of carcass characteristics.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1039-1046
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• 2003

In a trial involving 240pigs, the proximate composition, physico-chemical properites, color, amino acid composition and fatty acid composition of loin muscle were investigated in feeding various finished pig feeds. The treatments included feeding control) the low-nutrient density diet(2,960cal/kg ME, 12.25% CP, 0.41% lysine and 0.70% Ca), T1) the medium-nutrient density diet(3,220cal/kg ME, 15.50% CP, 0.87% lysine and 0.90% Ca) and T2) the hight-nutrient density diet(3,350cal/kg ME, 17.50% CP, 1.05% lysine and 0.90% Ca). The crude ash contents of T1 were significantly(p〈0.05) higher than those of control and T2. The pH$_{u}$ of T2 were significantly higher than those of control and T1, but cooking loss were significantly(p〈0.05) lower than those of control. In compositions amino acid, aspartic acid, threonine, iso-leucine and histidine of T2 were higher than those of control, but proline and glycine were significantly(p〈0.05) lower then those of control. The oleic acid(18:1) contents of control were significantly higher than those of T1 and T2, but the contents of linoleic acid(C18:2) and arachidonic(C20:4) acid were significantly(p〈0.05) lower. Inconclusion, the results of the experiments suggest that the high-nutrient density diet for pigs tended to improve the postmortem pH$_{u}$ and cooking loss.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.828-834
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• 2012

The present study has been conducted to investigate the effects of feeding seleniferous whole crop barley (WCB) to finishing pigs on their growth performance, blood and carcass characteristics as well as on tissue selenium deposition. A total of 40 cross-bred barrows ((Landrace${\times}$Yorkshire)${\times}$Duroc) were allotted to five replicates of four treatments. Each replicate was arranged to 2 pigs per pen; the experimental period lasted for 6 weeks. The finishing pigs were fed diets containing 0.1 (non-seleniferous WCB as a control), 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 ppm of selenium (Se) by supplementing the diets with seleniferous WCB. The isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets containing 5% non-seleniferous or seleniferous WCB were formulated. Feeding seleniferous WCB did not affect (p<0.05) the feed intake and BW gain. Total blood lipid concentration was significantly (p<0.05) decreased with increasing Se levels. Total blood cholesterol concentration for the control was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that for 0.4 and 0.6 ppm of Se treatments. Increasing the Se levels in WCB significantly (p<0.05) decreased blood triglyceride concentration; however, the levels increased immunoglobulin G and selenium concentrations. Feeding seleniferous WCB did not affect the carcass rate, backfat thickness and meat quality as well as yield grades. The Se concentration in the kidney, liver and loin were significantly (p<0.05) increased with increasing levels of seleniferous WCB. The results indicated that feeding seleniferous WCB may improve the blood characteristics related to lipid metabolism and thus, could produce selenium-fortified pork. Moreover, it is shown that the dietary optimal selenium level to depose selenium in porcine tissues by utilizing seleniferous WCB would be 0.4 mg of Se/kg of ration. Moreover, when 100 g of pork produced from pigs raised under such condition is served to consumers, it meets the minimum recommended daily requirements (40 ${\mu}g$) of dietary selenium proposed by the World Health Organization (1996).

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.179-184
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• 2007

The objective of this study was to investigate the contents of meat and non-meat ingredients, calorie, fatty acid composition, and cholesterol contents of processed meat products of which informations are being provided for consumer and partly required for the current labeling system in Korea. A total of sixty-one domestic processed meat products produced from 6 domestic meat companies were collected at the large supermarkets in Suwon city; 1) 31 ham products(3 loin hams, 6 press hams, 20 mixed press hams and 2 fish hams), 26 sausage products(15 pork sausages, 7 mixed sausages and 4 fish sausages) and 4 ground processed meat products. Soy protein and com starch were widely used as non-meat ingredients for the most of processed meat products. The contents of meat, protein, fat, cholesterol contents, and calories were 75-98, 12-23, 1-16%, 7-50 mg/100g, and 1,620-3,127 cal/g for ham products and 60-96, 5-17, 3-27%, 5-73 mg/100g, and 1,271-3,546 cal/g for sausage products, respectively. The saturated(SFA), monounsaturated(MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFA) contents of ham products were 31-40, 44-53 and 60-72%, and those of sausage products were 17-38, 34-61, and 13-37%, respectively. The ranges of meat contents and nutritional compositions were considerably broad even in the same type of the meat products. Therefore, the labeling system of the nutritional facts for ham as well as sausage products is necessary to categorize the quality level and thus to give the nutritional information to consumer for better choice of products in market.