Abstract

VILLALOBOS, Alejandro Chacón  and  ZAMORA, Sianny Chavarría. Physicochemical characterization of Costa Rican pork shoulder. Cuadernos de Investigación UNED [online]. 2024, vol.16, n.1, pp.163-174. ISSN 1659-4266.  http://dx.doi.org/10.22458/urj.v16i1.5213.

Introduction: Pork meat offers high-quality nutrients, and in 2022, global pork production reached 125 million tons, with the highest demand in Asia. Considering some health implications of red meat, it is essential to characterize pork meat cuts, particularly in Costa Rica, where each person consumed a mean of 17kg in 2022. Objective: To physico-chemically characterize the pork shoulder cuts in Costa Rica. Materials and Methods: We collected samples of pork shoulder cuts, with an average weight of 2,5kg, selected randomly two days after slaughtering, and applied physico-chemical analyses Results: The samples had an average of crude protein of 20,7±1,6%, with a polyunsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids (PUFA/SFA) ratio of 0,36 and low sodium content (0,056g/100g). The energy value of the pork shoulder cut reported in this research (139,6kcal/100g), classifies it as one of the lowest energy cuts of pork. Of total fat, 96.7%±0,2 was represented by six fatty acids: oleic, palmitic, stearic, linoleic, palmitoleic and myristic. The cutting force was 4,62kgf, and the color was characterized by a dark brown tone. Conclusion: Costa Rican pork shoulder stands out for its low energy value and high protein content, making it suitable for weight loss dietary plans.

Keywords : Pork meat; red meat; quality; fatty acids.

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