Characterization of muscles from boars, barrows, and gilts slaughtered at 100 or 110 kilograms: differences in fat, moisture, color, water-holding capacity, and collagen.

For characterization of ether-extractable fat content (EE), L*, a*, and b* color, and water-holding capacity (WHC), 12 muscles or muscle groups were dissected from 48 pork carcasses of boars, barrows, or gilts that were fed diets either at minimum (LO) or 1% above (HI) their protein requirements and slaughtered in two separate trials at 100 or 110 kg. In both trials across muscles, gilts and boars had lower (P < .05) EE than barrows. In the 110-kg trial, boars had lower (P < .001) EE than gilts. In the 100-kg trial, boars on LO diets had lower (P < .001) WHC than all other groups, and both boar groups had lower (P < .05) WHC than gilts. No differences (P > .05) in WHC were seen in the 110-kg trial. In the 100-kg trial, gilts had lower L* (P < .05) than boars and barrows, but in the 110-kg trial boars had lower L* (P < .05) than barrows and gilts. The lowest (P < .05) a* values were for boars in the 100-kg trial and for boars on LO diets in the 110-kg trial. In both trials, the serratus ventralis had more (P < .001) EE than all other muscles. In both trials, the semitendinosus had higher (P < .001) L* and the longissimus had lower (P < .01) a* and b* than all other muscles. The numerous differences observed among muscles may help identify optimal uses for the entire pork carcass.