Composition of carcass sides and quality of meat from Swallow-Belly Mangalitsa reared in two systems

Objective of this paper was to determine the composition of carcass sides and quality of meat obtained from two groups of fatteners (male castrated pigs) of Swallow-Belly Mangalitsa breed. First group was reared in an open system (SO, n=13) and the other group in farm conditions with free ranges (SI, n=10). Animals were slaughtered in the same slaughtering facility. Left carcass sides were dissected and percentage of meat (Actual LMP) calculated according to EU reference method (EC, No 1249/2008). Data obtained in the study was analyzed using GLM procedure of the program package SAS 9.1.3 (SAS Inst.Inc., 2002-2003).Average pre slaughter body weight of fatteners was 103.83 +/- 10.13 kg. Housing and nutrition system in production of fatteners had statistically highly significant effect (p is less than .0001) on pre-slaughter age of fatteners. Statistically significant differences were obtained only in mean values obtained for back fat measured on single location/position – lower back (BFR I) between fatteners of groups SO and SI. Total weight of all individual carcass side parts and weight of relevant muscle tissue, depended on the weight of warm carcass sides (WHC) but not on the housing system (SBF). Carcass sides of fatteners contained in average 35.64 +/- 4.39% of muscle tissue (Actual LMP). Meat content in carcass sides (Predicted LMP) was determined according to Rulebook/Pravilnik (1985) for fatty pig breeds and it was 29.67 +/- 1.27%. In the musculus longissimus dorsi (MLD) of fatteners reared in closed system, was recorded higher content of water (p=0.0069), lower content of total fats/lipids (p=0.0081) and higher content of ash (p=0.0392) compared to animals from the open system of housing. No statistically significant differences in average protein content (p=0.5940) and pH1 value (p=0.0659) were established between fatteners reared in open and closed system of housing.