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. 2017 Nov;95(11):4958–4970. doi: 10.2527/jas2017.1674

Table 1.

Population summary statistics of early postmortem and aged loin quality traits

Variable No. Mean Median SD Minimum Maximum CV
HCW, kg 7,576 94.72 95.45 9.41 53.18 129.55 9.93
Loin quality
    31-min pH 774 6.55 6.57 0.2 5.68 7.07 3.08
    1-d pH 3,990 5.69 5.66 0.15 5.37 6.79 2.56
    1-d NPPC1 subjective quality
        Color2 7,381 3.09 3.00 0.56 1 5 18.27
        Marbling3 7,381 2.13 2.00 0.92 0.5 6 43.35
        Firmness4 7,381 2.75 3.00 0.62 1 5 22.49
    20-d NPPC subjective quality
        Color2 818 3.13 3.00 0.59 2 6 18.83
        Marbling3 818 1.58 1.50 0.35 1 4 21.89
        Firmness4 818 2.99 3.00 0.16 2 4 5.32
    1-d instrumental loin color5
        L* 3,937 52.66 52.61 2.49 44.3 62.05 4.73
        a* 3,937 7.40 7.38 1.15 2.94 11.41 15.55
        b* 3,937 13.64 13.66 1.04 9.92 17.63 7.61
    20-d instrumental loin color5
        L* 818 58.93 59.16 2.64 48.85 66.84 4.48
        a* 818 10.06 10.06 1.40 4.77 15.22 13.88
        b* 818 17.12 17.14 1.02 13.40 21.74 5.96
    20-d purge loss, % 805 0.92 0.79 0.62 0.00 4.71 67.39
    21-d cook loss, % 818 17.28 17.40 2.01 8.40 23.15 11.64
    Slice shear force, kg 818 14.80 13.20 5.50 5.90 39.51 37.16
1

NPPC = National Pork Producers Council.

2

1 = pale, pinkish gray to 6 = dark, purplish red (NPPC, 1999).

3

1 = 1% intramuscular fat to 10 = 10% intramuscular fat (NPPC, 1999).

4

1 = very soft/very watery to 5 = very firm (NPPC, 1991).

5

L* measures darkness to lightness (greater L* value indicates a lighter color), a* measures redness (greater a* value indicates a redder color), and b* measures yellowness (greater b* value indicates a more yellow color). Fresh loin color values were the average of 2 readings per sample.