Effect of dehairing methods and sex on pork quality and cold storage stability

The aims of this work were to compare the effects of dehairing methods and sex on pork quality and cold storage stability. For this study, one half of 40 pigs were dehaired by scalding in the same abattoir, and the other half by dehiding. Each treatment consisted of one half gilts and one half castrated male pigs. Meat quality traits were measured at 24 hr after slaughter, and thiobarbituric acid (TBA), metmyoglobin contents and total plate counts (TPC) were evaluated at 1, 7, 14 and 21 days of cold storage. The carcass weight and backfat thickness of pigs dehaired by scalding were significantly higher than those dehided (p<0.05). Compared to scalded carcasses, dehided carcasses had a lower longissimus dorsi muscle temperature (/?<0.05). Furthermore, dehided carcasses had significantly lower drip loss than scalded carcasses (p<0.05). However, meat color parameters were not affected by the dehairing method. During cold storage, TBA values of scalded carcasses were slightly higher initially, whereas the dehided carcasses had higher TBA values at 21 days (p<0.05). The total plate counts (TPC) associated with scalding and dehiding treatment were not significantly different at any point during cold storage. The TPC exponentially increased in both scalded and dehided carcasses from 7 to 14 days of cold storage.