Factors of significance for pork quality—a review

This paper reviews current knowledge about factors of importance for pork quality with special emphasis on technological quality attributes. It is evident that production and slaughter factors can be used to control technological quality traits. However, most of the present knowledge is based on studies investigating the influence of a single or at the most two factors. This survey reveals that: –Most important, an understanding of how production and slaughter factors interact in relation to pork quality is a must to give the maximum number of tools to control pork quality and hereby meat quality demands of tomorrow. –The existence of a new genetic pool (elimination of the halothane and RN− genes in the commercial pig populations of tomorrow) force the meat science into a renaissance, as the influence of production and slaughter factors on pork quality may be fundamentally different in this new genetic pool. –A basic understanding on how muscle glycogen stores are influenced by genotype and feeding regime and the interaction with pre-slaughter handling might be the next major breakthrough in controlling technological pork quality. –Introduction of new production systems claim parallel studies to prevent unforseen negative effect on quality. –A holistic approach is needed to give an overall understanding of the influence of production, peri and post mortem factors on pork quality.