Abstract

SALAZAR-VARGAS, Ewel Fernando  and  BRENES-PERALTA, Laura Patricia. Methods for measurement of fat as a quality indicator in pork carcasses. Tecnología en Marcha [online]. 2017, vol.30, n.4, pp.28-39. ISSN 0379-3982.  http://dx.doi.org/10.18845/tm.v30i4.3409.

The definition of quality in meat products often relates to the measurement of parameters like fat and percentage of lean muscle, among others. Since these are useful indicators for the productive and commercial processes, this case study was aimed to evaluate efficiency in four methods for fat measurement in pork carcasses, the gun, the ruler, ultrasound scan and laboratory analysis, regarding cost, time of execution, and reliability of resulting data. First, an opinion study among members of the national pork sector was carried out to determine the acceptable ranges of the efficiency criteria ; then, the methods were executed in a pork processing facility, measuring variables of back fat, depth of muscle, and lean muscle, in batches of pig carcasses of 75 kg to 90 kg. The results showed that the ultrasound scan method was of interest for the sector and had an affordable investment cost; however, it was not possible to obtain practical data in this particular case. The ruler method proved to be cheap, simple and fast; but was not accepted by the sector due to little reliability. The laboratory analysis by means of an ANKOM XT10 ® represented a higher investment than that expected by the sector; the execution lasted several hours and required destruction of the sample; however, it showed high reliability. The gun method (Hennessy Grading Probe ®) was accepted by the sector, although it represented a high investment cost; moreover, time of execution was reasonable, and standard deviation was similar to the expected theoretical deviation.

Keywords : Quality; pork carcass; fat parameter; measurement methods; efficiency criteria.

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