Carcass and meat quality traits of four commercial pig crossbreeds in China

We evaluated carcass and meat quality traits of two Chinese native crossbreeds Landrace x Meishan (LM) and Duroc x (Landrace x Meishan) (DLM) and two foreign crossbreeds Duroc x (Landrace x Yorkshire) (DLY) and PIC (an imported five-way crossbreed). One hundred and twenty weaned pigs (half castrated males and half females) were reared and slaughtered at a predestinated slaughter age. The general carcass and meat quality traits were measured and analyzed. The DLY and PIC crosses had significantly heavier live weights (93.39 and 96.33 kg, P < 0.01), significantly higher dressing percentages (80.65 and 79.39%, P < 0.05), significantly bigger loin areas (42.69 and 43.91 cm(2), P < 0.001), and significantly more lean carcasses (65.78 and 66.40%, P < 0.001) than LM and DLM. On the other hand, LM had a significantly lower live weight (70.29 kg, P < 0.01), significantly thicker back fat (3.54 cm, P < 0.001), significantly less lean carcasses (46.82%, P < 0.001), and significantly less ham and breech (26.53%, P < 0.05) than the other crossbreeds. Among meat quality parameters, LM had the highest intramuscular fat content (5.02%, P < 0.001) and the smallest fiber area (3126.45 mu m(2), P < 0.01). However, PIC showed the lowest pH(1) (5.82, P < 0.01) and pH(2) (5.63, P < 0.01), the highest drip loss (2.89%, P < 0.01), and the lowest intramuscular fat (1.35%, P < 0.001). We concluded that LM and DLM had good meat quality traits but poorer carcass traits than DLY and PIC; DLY had good carcass and meat quality traits; PIC had good carcass traits, but it had less intramuscular fat, lower pH and higher drip loss.