Comparison of postmortem meat quality and consumer sensory characteristic evaluations, according to porcine quality classification

This study examined variations in postmortem meat quality characteristics and consumer sensory evaluations of different pork quality classes in fresh and cooked meat. Pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat had the highest drip loss, lightness, and the lowest pH24 hr whereas dark, firm, and dry (DFD) meat showed the opposite results. When the fresh meat was evaluated by consumer panelists, they could only distinguish the PSE class of meat and it scored lowest in overall acceptability. However, the panelists did not consider cooked PSE or DFD pork to be unacceptable overall, indicating that consumers cannot distinguish the quality of cooked pork.