Classifying fresh pork loin based on potential consumer appeal and value enables processors and producers to stand out in a competitive market, catering to domestic and export demands. Accurate classification aligns products with consumer expectations and benefits purveyors, chefs, retailers, and consumers by ensuring consistent quality. Pork quality is heavily influenced by live animal variations and postmortem processes, with muscle metabolism playing a significant role in determining meat tenderness. Understanding these processes is essential for predicting and controlling pork loin quality. This study aimed to define a molecular phenotype of pork quality by examining the proteomic and metabolomic profile of aged pork loin chops that varied in pork tenderness. The molecular phenotype of the most tender aged chops in this study was associated with a less pronounced pH decline, markedly less abundance of glycolytic metabolites, greater disruption of membranes and membrane proteins, and the degradation of structural proteins. Additionally, unique soluble proteins found in aged pork, likely resulting from membrane disruptions and protein degradation, offer promising markers for evaluating and predicting pork quality and value.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.