Meat quality and cooking attributes of thawed pork with different low field NMR T21

A relationship of low field NMR T2 components to meat quality and cooking attributes of pork was investigated. Longissimus muscle was removed from 23 pig carcasses at 24 h postmortem for meat quality measurements and cooking test. Frozen samples were classified into three groups by LF-NMR T21 of thawed samples: A (< 40 ms), B (40–44 ms) and C (> 44 ms). There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in pH, lightness (L* value) and pressing loss among the three groups. Cooking time to attain 70 °C was slightly lower in group C than the other groups. Shear force value of cooked samples was not affected by T21. The component T21 correlated (P < 0.05) with L* value, muscle pH and pressing loss, while L* value correlated (P < 0.05) with thawing loss and muscle pH. Therefore, combined LF-NMR and color measurements could be a good way to differentiate water holding capacity of pork.

► Pork with different quality can be classified by low-field NMR T21. ► Low-field NMR T21 correlated with L*, pH and pressing loss, but not with shear force. ► Low-field NMR T21 reflected, to some extent, cooking attributes of pork.