Evaluating the ability to measure pork fat quality for the production of commercial bacon

This study was conducted to evaluate three fat quality measures to characterize the suitability of pork bellies for commercial bacon production. Bellies from six sources (A to F) and two weight ranges (4.5/5.5 kg and 5.5/6.4 kg) were sampled by randomly selecting 50 belly sets from commercial combos of pork bellies from each source. The fat on these 50 individual bellies was assessed for quality using three methods: an FTNIR spectrophotometer to predict iodine (IV) value, a Durometer to assess fat firmness, and a subjective fat quality score (FQS) to assess integrated values of fat color, firmness, oiliness, and wetness. Data show that the fat quality measures differed (P < 0.05) by pork belly source and weight class with significant interactions between the two. Bellies were subsequently manufactured into bacon and bacon slicing yield index varied significantly (P < 0.05) by belly source, weight class, and their interaction. Durometer and FQS results were significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with bacon slice yield. The 50 belly subsamples obtained from each source/weight class also allowed the prediction of frequency distribution-based values based on fat quality measures (proportion IV > 74, proportion Durometer value < 50, and proportion FQS > 3. These were also correlated with slice yield. The data lead to a new paradigm model that is useful to describe both the uncertainty in fat quality measures and the relationships observed from pork bellies from different sources.