Meat quality with reference to EUROP carcass grading system

The relationship between meat quality traits and carcass lean content was checked in 63 pigs graded according to EUROP classification. In each of the E, U, R, O classes there were 12, 13, 27 and 11 pigs, respectively. They were slaughtered at 105 kilograms liveweight. Carcass lean content (CLC) was predicted by UFOM-100 device. The CLC in each of the E, U, R, O classes attained 58.5 +/- 3.2, 52.4 +/- 1.4, 47.9 +/- 1.3 and 42.2 +/- 1.2%, respectively. Meat quality generally tended to increase with the decrease of CLC. The pH(1) has increased from 5.97 in E to 6.49 in O class (P < 0.01). The LF1 values were highest in E class 7.67 mS and gradually decreased to 3.36 mS in O class (P < 0.01). Drip loss was highest in E and lowest in O class (P < 0.01). The inverse was the case in water holding capacity of meat (P < 0.01). It is concluded that some meat quality deterioration may be expected in heavy muscled pigs.