Technological quality of meat from pigs raised outdoors

This study compares the technological quality of carcasses from a farm where pigs were fattened on an outdoor run with that of carcasses of pigs raised indoors. Measurements of pH were associated with heart rate recordings to estimate the pigs’ stress response, from the farm through to anaesthesia. The outdoor pigs exhibited lower average heart rates throughout the experiment. However, during severe stress such as when being led to slaughter, which is the most stressful phase, the outdoor pigs reacted more strongly.This difference was reflected in the meat quality, with a higher proportion of ‘PSE tendency’ and ‘PSE’ meats from the outdoor pigs, and the average end pH values were also significantly lower than in meat from indoor pigs. This alternative production mode thus tends to impair the technological quality of the meat.