Consumer responses to fresh meat and meat products from barrows and boars with different levels of boar taint

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn a consumer trial the assessments of 874 cooks and 5034 family members were analysed. Forty-one boar and 40 barrow carcasses were selected in a commercial abattoir so that the two sexes were similar in carcass weight, fat thickness and muscle pH. A boar sample including a higher proportion of tainted carcasses was selected. It was divided into three boar taint-level subgroups according to their 5a-androst- 16-ene-3-one (androstenone) concentration in fat (Jig androstenone per g fat) as follows: L < 0·5 (no. = 17), M 0·5 to 1·0 (no. = 13) and H > 1·0 (no. = 11). From each carcass, loin/rib chops were prepared and cooked hams, brine-cured bellies and Spanish dry-cured hams were processed. An analysis of variance was used to estimate the effects of sex and boar taint levels. Cooks (P < 0·05) and family members (P < 0·01) reported a higher level of odour for boar chops. A higher level of unfavourable responses to odour and flavour were found in the H taint-level subgroup. Also, the H taint-level group produced the highest proportion of negative judgements on overall acceptability in comparison with normal purchases. The response of cooks to odour from brine-cured bellies was significantly affected by sex (boar and barrow). For bellies, odour, overall acceptability and comparison with normal purchases were significantly affected by the boar taint-level subgroups (P < 005). The treatments had no significant effect on any quality question related to boar taint in cooked ham. However, boar taint level significantly affected the assessments of flavour and overall acceptability from Spanish dry-cured ham (P < 0·01). A higher proportion of negative responses was found in the H taint-level subgroup. The trial indicates that boar meat can produce an unfavourable response from consumers for fresh meat (chops) or products needing heating prior to consumption (brine-cured bellies). However, in cooked products with hot processing and cold consumption (cooked ham) no negative effect from using boar meat was observed. To produce Spanish dry-cured ham, androstenone quantification should be carried out to avoid consumer dissatisfaction.