The effects of RN genotype and tumbling on processing yield in cured–smoked pork loins

The objective was to investigate the effects of RN genotype and tumbling treatment on yields throughout the processing of cured–smoked loins. Furthermore, the economic outcome was calculated for the different treatments because the technological yield is important for the meat industry. The study comprised two separate trials, T1 and T2, and included loins from 62 and 32 female pigs crossbreed with Hampshire, respectively. All loins in T1 were tumbled, whereas half of the loins in T2 were tumbled and the remainder was non-tumbled. Glucose and glucose-6-phosphate concentrations in meat juice and drip loss were higher, and ultimate pH and technological yield lower in loins of the RN− carriers than those of non-carriers. Water loss during processing was largest at heating, when yield between RN genotypes differed the most for T2. Yield between genotypes differed the most at curing for T1. When tumbling was included in the processing the technological yield increased, but the RN allele was still negatively affected. Salt content in cured–smoked loins was higher in non-carriers than RN− carriers in T1, whereas salt content in non-tumbled non-carriers was significantly lower than in the other cured–smoked loins in T2. Tumbled cured–smoked loins contained more water than non-tumbled loins. There were moderate to high correlations between ultimate pH and processing yields except for curing yield. Water content in the cured–smoked loins was positively related to technological yield. The differences between the two trials suggest that the process design greatly influences the final product.