Genetic markers for the production of US country hams (original) (raw)
Related papers
Molecular Markers Associated with Improved Yield and Quality of Dry-Cured Hams
and Implications The effect of three cathepsin genes on several processing characteristics of fresh and dry-cured hams was investigated. The results of the association studies conducted for all genes indicated that the variants of all genes significantly affect several of the phenotypic traits analyzed. These markers can now be used to select pigs carrying the preferred variants for dry-cured ham production.
Gene Associations with Country Ham Quality, Quantity and Color Traits
The demand for country hams or dry-cured hams has been on the rise in recent years in the U.S., which provides a new market for pork producers. In this study, three genes involved in the regulation of fatty acid synthesis and antioxidative enzyme transcription were investigated for associations with country ham quality, quantity, and color traits. These processes are import for meat quality. Differences in the animals' genetic sequence, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected in each gene and association analyzes were performed. Several significant associations were found and include, but are not limited to, cured weight, ham yield, moisture and salt percentage. The findings in this study provide evidence that pigs carrying favorable variants of these genes could be selected for use in improvements in country ham production.
Phenotypic correlations among quality traits of fresh and dry-cured hams
Meat Science, 2007
In this study, fresh and processing quality traits were collected on a total of 312 Country Hams. Phenotypic correlations between traits were estimated and numerous values were significantly different (P < 0.05) from zero. Yield was significantly correlated with several fresh pork quality traits measured on the fresh hams, including subjective color (0.34) and lipid percentage (0.32). Some meat color traits were significantly correlated, including associations between the color scores taken on the fresh and cured hams. Correlations between fresh pork quality traits were also determined, with results showing significant correlations between ultimate pH and other pork quality traits.
The effect of RN gene on yields and quality of extended cooked cured hams
Meat Science, 1999
The eect of RN À allele on minimally processed hams as manufactured in France is now well established. In the present study, meat from 35 rn + and 51 RN À pigs on the basis of their glycolytic potential (GP) was used to assess the eect of the RN À allele on a model system and on yields and quality of cooked hams cured with a 40% brine addition containing the most common meat processing ingredients. Quality parameters were also measured on the fresh loins and a glucose assay was carried out on meat juice from both hams and longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles. With respect to GP, glucose content of LD juice gave the best prediction of RN status with 10% misclassi®ed samples in comparison with 20% as determined from ham juice. Lower pH and higher drip loss and L* values were measured on the LD from RN À pigs (p 4 0.001). Technological yields obtained on the model system and on extended cooked cured hams were lower in meat from RN À pigs (p 4 0.001). However, pH value was more in¯uential on the yield of the model system while protein content and particularly the amount of extractable sarcoplasmic proteins were more determinative on cured hams probably due to the eect of tumbling. All other quality traits were lower in hams from RN À pigs (p 4 0.001). Meat from RN À pigs can be used for the manufacture of extended cured products, but under similar processing technologies, quality and yield will remain inferior to what would provide pork of normal quality. #
Meat Science, 2012
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Computer image analysis traits of cross-sectioned dry-cured hams: A genetic analysis1
Journal of Animal Science, 2011
The aims of this study were to estimate genetic parameters of image analysis traits of crosssectioned dry-cured hams and carcass weight (CW) and to investigate effects of some nongenetic sources of variation on these traits. Computer image analysis (CIA) had been carried out for digital images of the cross-section of 1,319 San Daniele dry-cured hams. The cross-sectional area (SA, cm 2); the average thickness of subcutaneous fat (FT, cm); and the proportions of lean (LA, %), fat-eye (FEA, %), and subcutaneous fat area (SCF, %) to SA, and of biceps femoris (BFA, %) and semitendinosus muscle area (STA, %) to LA were recorded. Bivariate analyses were carried out for pairs of traits for estimation of genetic parameters using Bayesian methodology and linear models. Linear models included the nongenetic effects of slaughter groups and sex and the additive genetic effects of pigs and their ancestors (1,888 animals). Variation of FEA was nearly 4-fold that of SA and LA. Variation of CIA traits due to sex effect was not large, whereas slaughter group effects were relevant sources of variation for all traits. For all traits, with the exception of FEA, the posterior probability for the true heritability being greater than 0.1, was greater than 0.95. Point estimates of heritabilities for FT and SCF were 0.42 and 0.51, respectively. Heritability estimates for FEA, LA, BFA, and STA were 0.13, 0.44, 0.44, and 0.36, respectively. The genetic correlations between CW and CIA traits were positive and large for SA (0.86), positive and moderate for FT, FEA, and STA (0.47, 0.40, and 0.45, respectively) and negative with LA (−0.28). Although FEA, FT, and SCF were all measures of the extent of fat deposition in the ham, the genetic correlations between FT or SCF and FEA were very low. A very large estimate (0.74) was obtained for the genetic relationship between SA and FEA, suggesting that reduction of ham roundness through selective breeding would be beneficial for decreasing FEA. On the basis of the estimated parameters, genetic selection is expected to be effective in changing size of fatty and lean areas of the cross-section of dry-cured hams. Causes related to the abnormal development of the fat-eye depot remain unknown, but this study provided evidence that influences of polygenic effects on phenotypic variation of FEA are limited.
Genetic and environmental effects on a meat spotting defect in seasoned dry-cured ham
Italian Journal of Animal Science, 2011
Purpose of this investigation was to determine the nature of a visible spotting defect on the slice of dry-cured ham and assess environmental and genetic causes of this frequent problem. A group of 233 pigs from commercial cross-breeding lines, progeny of ten boars and forty seven sows, was raised in a single herd to obtain the Italian Heavy Pig, typically slaughtered at 160±10 kg live weight and older than 9 months of age. A quality evaluation of their right dry-cured hams, seasoned according to the Parma P.D.O. protocol, was undertaken. Each ham was cross-sectioned to obtain a slice of Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus and Biceps Femoris muscles. The focused phenotype was the presence/absence of brownish spots in these muscles, which represent a remarkable meat defect with strong impact on the final sale price. Environmental and management factors were considered in order to evaluate variability related to the phenotype. Animals were raised on two different flooring types (concrete and slatted floor) and a Vitamin C diet was also supplemented in the last 45 days before slaughtering to half of the animals. While the pre-planned environmental effects did not show any significant contribution to the total variability of the phenotype, the genetic analysis showed a near to zero value for heritability with a consistent 0.32 repeatability. The proportion of the total phenotypic variance was explained by an important dominance genetic component (0.26) indicating that the technological seasoning process may play a secondary role on the expression of this phenotype.
Journal of Animal Science and Technology, 2019
This study was conducted to compare the physicochemical traits of dry-cured hams made from two different pig breeds: Berkshire and Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc (LYD). Pigs were slaughtered at a live weight of approximately 110 kg and cooled at 0°C for 24 h in a chilling room. Then, the ham portion of the carcasses were cut and processed by dry-curing for physicochemical analyses. The dry-cured hams from Berkshire contain higher crude protein, fat, and ash level than those from LYD, whereas the hams from LYD had higher moisture contents than those from Berkshire(p < 0.05). The pH values of the hams from Berkshire were lower than those from LYD (p < 0.05). The hams from Berkshire had lower L* and b* values than those from LYD (p < 0.05). Palmitoleic acid (C16:1), oleic acid (C18:1), elaidic acid (C18:1t), monounsaturated fatty acids, and ratio of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids (n-6/n-3) in the ham from Berkshire were higher than LYD (p < 0.05). Free amino acids such as aspartic acid, threonine, serine, asparagine, glutamic acid, and lysine in hams from Berkshire were higher than those from LYD (p < 0.05). The microbial population had no significant difference between Berkshire and LYD dry-cured ham. The cross sections of dry cured ham showed difference from different breeds using scanning electron microscope and indicates some differences in texture. Considering the meat quality parameters of ham, hams from Berkshire could provide variety of ham for consumer who are seeking various different qualities and stories.
Use of multivariate analysis to evaluate genetic groups of pigs for dry-cured ham production
Livestock Science, 2012
Records of a pig population used for dry-cured ham production were used to evaluate genetic groups by multivariate analysis. The investigated genetic groups were as follows: DULL¼Duroc  (Landrace  Large White), DULA¼ Duroc  Landrace, DUWI¼ Duroc  Large White, WIWI¼ Large White and DUDU¼ Duroc. Two groups were obtained for the carcass traits hot carcass weight (HCW), backfat thickness (BT) and loin depth (LD), with the groups including 597 and 341 animals harvested at 130 kg and at 160 kg weights, respectively. Two groups were also found for ham traits gross ham weight (GHW), trimmed ham weight (THW), ham inner layer fat thickness (HIFT), ham outer layer fat thickness (HOFT), pH (PH), and Göfo value, with 393 and 91 animals harvested at 130 kg and 160 kg weights, respectively. The analysis was performed within each group of traits and harvest weights, and the animals without records were excluded. The first and the second canonical variables explained 97.5% and 93.6% of the total variation for the carcass traits at 130 kg and 160 kg, respectively, and 88.8% of ham traits at 130 kg. In the dispersion graph concerning the canonical means, a significant distance was observed between the genetic groups DUDU and WIWI for the carcass traits at 130 kg and 160 kg and the ham traits at 130 kg. The 50% Duroc animals exhibited little dispersion regarding the carcass traits at 130 kg and 160 kg and were not divergent from the DUDU genetic group for the ham traits at 130 kg. In a cluster analysis using the single linkage method, DULL, DULA and DUWI were grouped with a high similarity level for the carcass traits at 130 kg and 160 kg and ham traits at 130 kg. Using the Tocher optimization method, 50% Duroc crossbred and 100% Duroc purebred animals were grouped for the ham traits at 130 kg, suggesting that for ham traits, 50% Duroc animals were similar to 100% Duroc purebred animals. In this context, the genetic groups Duroc  Large White, Duroc  Landrace and Duroc  (Landrace  Large White) are recommended for use in producing dry-cured ham.