Pork Loin Chop Quality and Muscle Fiber Characteristics as Affected by the Direction of Cut

• Main Authors: Sumin Song, Chi-Hoon Ahn, Mingeun Song, Gap-Don Kim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
• Series: Foods
• Subjects: pork loin chop; cut direction; muscle fiber characteristics; meat quality
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/1/43

In this study, the relationship between muscle fiber characteristics and meat quality of pork loin chops prepared using different directions of cut (vertical to the muscle length, M-Vertical; vertical or parallel to the muscle fiber orientation, F-Vertical or F-Parallel) was evaluated under different storage conditions (fresh, cold storage/aged, and freeze–thawed). Among the three groups, F-parallel displayed considerably larger size of muscle fibers, regardless of their type. This group also displayed an increase in discoloration in aged chops and a decrease in purge loss and tenderness than in other cut groups (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Freeze–thawing accelerated deterioration of meat quality, especially water-holding capacity and tenderness in all groups (<i>p</i> < 0.05), but was most prominent in F-Parallel. Therefore, to avoid excessive deterioration of fresh, aged, or frozen/thawed pork loin chops, it is important to consider the direction in which the chop is cut with respect to the muscle fiber orientation.