Estudio de la calidad de carnes y productos cárnicos procedentes de hembras porcinas ibéricas enteras, inmunocastradas y castradas quirúgicamente

Abstract

This Doctoral Thesis evaluated the effect of immune-spaying on female Iberian pigs (IB x D) from the point of view of meat quality in fresh meat and dry-cured meat products. Fresh loins (Longissimus dorsi) and dry-cured shoulders and loins were used. The animals were classified in three groups: immune-spayed females (IF), surgically spayed females (SF) and entire females (EF). Study sample: 36 fresh loins (caudal half) (n = 12); dry-cured shoulders and loins (cranial half) (n = 6). Methodology: morphological measurements; physico-chemical, instrumental and sensory characteristics of the various meat pieces. Volatile compound analysis was also performed by means of PTR-ToF-MS (proton transfer reaction time of flight mass spectrometry) as a rapid technique to differentiate between the three study groups. The results obtained have demonstrated that immune-spaying of female Iberian pigs did not affect carcass traits nor fresh meat quality (Longissimus dorsi). Likewise, an inconsequential effect on the physico-chemical composition of dry-cured shoulders was observed. In dry-cured loins, however, an increase in intramuscular fat was observed in the IF group. The volatile organic compound profile (VOCs) and the sensory analysis of the dry-cured shoulders did not show significant differences between the study groups. Contrarily, the dry-cured loins showed differences between the groups in the VOC profile and some sensory descriptors (brightness and marbling). Immune-spaying of female pigs is a viable alternative to surgical spaying, allowing the final characteristics of dry-cured products to be maintained or even improved upon.