A sensory description of boar taint and the effects of crude and dried chicory roots (Cichorium intybus L.) and inulin feeding in male and female pork

Sensory profiling studies were carried out to evaluate the effects of chicory root (Cichorium intybus L.) and inulin bioactive feeding with respect to reducing the ‘off-flavour’ boar taint in intact male and female pork Longissimus dorsi and Psoas major. Feeding treatments significantly reduced perceived sensory boar taint in the cooked pork meat of intact males in both muscles. There were also indications that crude chicory was also effective in taint descriptor reduction in female pork, however not to the same systematic level as in male animals. Chemical measurements for skatole and androstenone were highly predictive of specific sensory descriptors of boar taint reduction. Feeding of crude, dried chicory and inulin were also determined not to impart negative sensory characteristics upon boar taint reduction. Chicory feeding therefore must be considered to have the potential for utilisation as part of a strategy for boar taint reduction in intact male pork.