Consumer acceptability in 2010 of entire male meat in processing meat industry of sausage, lardon, dry sausage and cooked ham

The acceptability of 4 processing products of the French pig meat industry processed with entire males pigs, females or castrated pigs has been tested by a consumer panel of 100 panelists (fresh sausages, lardons, dry sausages, cooked ham). The cutting morsels used come from 25 to 33 entire males which were characterized on the androstenone and skatole levels. The average androstenone levels of the entire males batches were high (> 1μg/g of pure fat) and the skatole level was low (0.07 μg/g of pure fat). No differences were observed on the global acceptability, the taste and the intention of re-consumption of the 4 products from entire males batches in comparison to females and castrated pigs. About odor, we only observe for cooked ham a significant difference, the consumers prefered the ham odour of females batch then compared to entire males batch when they opened the commercial bag.