Withdraw
Loading…
Exploration of novel chops from heavy weight pork carcasses and the impact of aging presentation on fresh meat quality
Jallaq, Khalil
Loading…
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129335
Description
- Title
- Exploration of novel chops from heavy weight pork carcasses and the impact of aging presentation on fresh meat quality
- Author(s)
- Jallaq, Khalil
- Issue Date
- 2025-05-09
- Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
- Harsh, Bailey N
- Committee Member(s)
- Dilger, Anna C
- Bresolin, Tiago
- Schulte, Matthew D
- Department of Study
- Animal Sciences
- Discipline
- Animal Sciences
- Degree Granting Institution
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Degree Name
- M.S.
- Degree Level
- Thesis
- Keyword(s)
- pork
- meat quality
- heavy weight pigs
- aging
- Abstract
- Over the past 20 years, U.S. pork market weights have steadily increased, leading to potential opportunities for novel pork chop cuts sourced from the shoulder and ham. While carcasses have been getting bigger, there has also been an increase in the amount of case ready packaged meat produced. Proper postmortem handling, such as chop presentation during aging, plays a crucial role in pork chop quality. This study aimed to assess the tenderness, juiciness, and flavor of chops from heavier pigs compared to traditional center-cut loin chops, while also evaluating the impact of presentation during aging (chops vs. roasts) on color stability and instrumental tenderness of pork loin chops. To evaluate sensory attributes, pigs of three hot carcass weight (HCW) classes (average, heavy, very heavy) were slaughtered, and chops from the serratus ventralis (SV), triceps brachii (TB), and semimembranosus (SM) muscles were compared to loin chops (LD). Sensory panels assessed tenderness, juiciness, and flavor on a structured scale, and results indicated no significant differences in cook loss (P = 0.26) or tenderness (P = 0.15) across the HCW classes. However, increased juiciness (P < 0.001) and flavor (P < 0.001) were observed in novel cuts. For evaluation of chop presentation during aging, boneless Canadian back pork loins were sourced from pigs at the University of Illinois Swine Research Center. Loins were cut into chops (2.54 cm) and roasts (5.08 cm), vacuum-packaged, and aged for 14 days at 4°C. After aging, roasts were further processed into chops for simulated retail display and Warner-Bratzler Shear Force analysis. No significant differences were observed in shear force (P = 0.68) or cook loss (P = 0.80). However, loin chops aged as roasts were paler (P ≤ 0.01) and more discolored (P ≤ 0.01) by day 7 of retail display compared to those aged as chops. These findings suggest that novel pork chops from heavier pigs may provide comparable tenderness with enhanced juiciness and flavor. Additionally, the presentation of chops during aging can influence color stability during retail display, potentially impacting consumer perception. Further research is needed to refine postmortem handling strategies to optimize pork chop quality in an evolving pork market.
- Graduation Semester
- 2025-05
- Type of Resource
- Thesis
- Handle URL
- https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129335
- Copyright and License Information
- Copyright 2025 Khalil Jallaq
Owning Collections
Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at IllinoisManage Files
Loading…
Edit Collection Membership
Loading…
Edit Metadata
Loading…
Edit Properties
Loading…
Embargoes
Loading…