UTILIZATION OF BOAR MEAT: COMPOSITION, QUALITY AND ODOR INCIDENCE IN RELATION TO ANDROSTENONE AND SKATOLE1

Abstract

Abstract Carcasses and(or) tissues of 510 boars and 510 barrows were analyzed for lean content, muscle quality, incidence of objectionable odor, 5α-androstenone concentration and skatole concentration. Boars and barrows differed (P < .01) in warm carcass weight (73.5 vs 80.1 kg), longissimus muscle area (36. vs 35. cm2), 10th rib fat depth (1.80 vs 2.57 cm), estimated percent muscle (56.1 vs 51.3%) and marbling score (1.73 vs 1.97). No difference (P > .05) was found for muscle color score (2.51 vs 2.45). Although odor panel scores were higher (P < .01) for boars than for barrows (1.74 vs 1.56), both scored quite low. The correlation coefficients between panel scores and 5α-androstenone content (.13) and between panel scores and skatole content (−.14) were nonsignificant (P > .05). These results indicate that boars reared in U.S. commercial production facilities produce lean meat more efficiently than barrows do and they have a low incidence of offensive odor. Concentration of 5α-androstenone and skatole in backfat proved unrelated to odor intensity.