Meat Science 122 (2016) 125131

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Meat Science
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/meatsci

Quality traits of pork semimembranosus and triceps brachii muscles

sourced from the United States and Mexico
E.J. Delgado-Surez a,, M.S. Rubio-Lozano a, V.M. Toledo-Lpez b, G.R. Torrescano-Urrutia c,
E. Ponce-Alquicira d, N. Huerta-Leidenz e,1
a
Centro de Enseanza Prctica e Investigacin en Produccin y Salud Animal, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico, Cruz Blanca 486 San
Miguel Topilejo, Deleg. Tlalpan, CP 14500 Ciudad de Mxico, Mexico
b
Instituto Tecnolgico de Mrida, Ave. Tecnolgico Km 5, Carretera Mrida-Progreso, CP 97118 Mrida, Yucatn, Mexico
c
Centro de Investigacin en Alimentacin y Desarrollo, A.C., Carretera a La Victoria km 0.6, CP 83304 Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
d
Universidad Autnoma Metropolitana-Unidad Iztapalapa, Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, Deleg. Iztapalapa, CP 09340 Ciudad de Mxico, Mexico
e
U.S. Meat Export Federation, Jaime Balmes No. 8, Piso 6, Despacho 602-C, Col. Los Morales Polanco, Deleg. Miguel Hidalgo, CP 11510 Ciudad de Mxico, Mexico

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:
Received 23 April 2016
Received in revised form 14 July 2016
Accepted 29 July 2016
Available online 30 July 2016
Keywords:
Pork quality
Chemical composition
Functional properties
Color
Consumer acceptance

a b s t r a c t
The study included fresh pork semimembranosus (SM, n = 289) and triceps brachii (TB, n = 283) muscles sourced
from meat packers of Mexico and the USA. Samples were analyzed for moisture, protein, and fat content, pH,
shear force (WBSF), cook loss, water holding capacity (WHC), instrumental color, emulsion capacity (EC) and stability (ES), and consumer sensory ratings. SM from the USA had lower WBSF (P b 0.05) than that from Mexico
(26.7 vs. 29.7 N), higher WHC (44.7 vs. 38.4%; P b 0.05) and a better appearance, as indicated by its lower h*
(52.3 vs. 56.6; P b 0.05) and higher C* (23.1 vs. 21.3; P b 0.05). Consumer acceptance of SM was similar
(P N 0.05) across countries. TB from Mexico had higher (P b 0.05) fat content (2.5 vs. 2.0%), lower (P b 0.05)
WBSF values (32.0 vs. 36.9 N), and received more positive ratings by Mexican consumers (87.1 vs. 81.7%) than
its US equivalent. In general, US pork exhibits better technological properties, while country of origin has less
effect on consumer acceptability.
2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

1. Introduction
The meaning of pork quality has evolved and become more complex
in recent years, particularly with the rapid expansion of global trade. Visual sensory quality of fresh pork is a major determinant of consumer
choices around the world, with clear, differential preferences among
countries (Ngapo, Martin, & Dranseld, 2007a, 2007b). The relative, perceived importance of quality factors can differ across segments of the
supply chain from livestock producers to intermediate processors/
distributers to nal consumers. Nevertheless, nutritional quality, eating
quality, and technological quality, among several other aspects, are all
included in the pork quality concept that has prevailed in importance
for the meat processing industry and consumers (Rosenvold &
Andersen, 2003).
The United States holds over 85% of Mexico's pork imports
(COMECARNE, 2015) and Mexico has become the leading market for
the United States, with 34% of the total US pork exports in 2015
(USDA, 2016). Bone-in legs and shoulders represent the largest share
of Mexico's US pork imports, valued at US$ 757.3 million in 2015
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: enriquedelgado.suarez@gmail.com (E.J. Delgado-Surez).
1
Present address: 1763 Grovehurst Drive, Charleston, S.C. 29414, USA.

(USDA/ERS, 2016). Accordingly, pork leg muscles have been identied

as the single, most frequent item of US-imported red meats offered by
Mexican retailers (Huerta-Leidenz, Howard, Ruiz Flores, Ngapo, &
Belk, 2016).
Along with the development of pork trade and consumption, the demand for high-quality fresh pork by Mexican consumers and meat processing companies is on the rise. Out of seven quality aspects expected
from US pork by Mexican traders (direct importers and market chain
customers), visual traits (led by ideal lean color) and eating quality
(led by good avor/taste) ranked third and fth, respectively
(Murphy et al., 2015). The more sophisticated demand has increased
the competition between Mexican pork producers and imports. Therefore, benchmarking the quality of the domestic pork supply is essential
for a better fulllment of market expectations. However, research on
this eld is lacking.
A small-scale, exploratory study(Mndez-Medina, Ponce-Alquicira,
Rubio Lozano, Ryan, & Huerta-Leidenz, 2009) attempted to compare
quality attributes of pork from the USA and Mexico, but acknowledged
that that their ndings were inconclusive. There is the need for a more
comprehensive survey to adequately characterize the pork supply of
each country. The evident contrast in pig farming and processing infrastructure between the two countries (Batres-Marquez, Clemens, &
Jensen, 2007) suggests differences in pork quality attributes due to

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2016.07.025
0309-1740/ 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

126

E.J. Delgado-Surez et al. / Meat Science 122 (2016) 125131

country of origin can be expected. Hence, the main objective of this project was to compare quality-related properties of pork triceps brachii
and semimembranosus samples originated in the USA and Mexico. Additionally, the effects of muscle type were examined.

2. Materials and methods

2.1. Experimental design, sample procurement and handling
The study included 280 samples of pork semimembranosus muscle
(SM, NAMP code 402F) and an equal number of samples of the triceps
brachii (TB, NAMP code 405B). Half of the samples (140) of each muscle
were collected directly from packers located in six Mexican states that
jointly produce over 75% of Mexico's pork production (Table 1). The
number of samples taken from each Mexican state (except Michoacn,
where packers did not provide the required samples) was determined
proportionally to its share of the national pork production volume
(SIAP, 2015). As samples from Michoacn were not collected (n = 6
of each muscle), the sample size of Guanajuato was 22 per muscle, instead of 16. The other half of the samples were collected from Mexican
importing companies that sourced their raw materials from ve of the
biggest US companies exporting pork to Mexico. The number of US samples was evenly distributed (28 of each muscle) among US purveyors. In
some cases, the number of samples collected was higher than planned.
The latter occurred since some companies sell units of boxed pork instead of individual pieces.
Despite many efforts, it was very difcult to nd US suppliers of TB
(NAMP 405B) in Mexico. For that reason, all US TB samples were collected from only one supplier that was able to provide the required samples. We took such decision considering several factors. First, we did
not expect signicant variation in pork quality across US companies
due to the increasing uniformity in breeding and feeding of pigs in the
USA (Lowe & Geref, 2008). Secondly, the number of samples was considerably high (n = 140) and the meat was collected from one of the
biggest US pork exporters to Mexico. Finally, the shortage of US TB
cuts lasted for six months, including fall-winter, when pork demand is
highest. Hence, if only one very large US company was exporting TB to
Mexico, collecting samples from it would provide a fairly good approximation of the quality attributes of this US pork cut.
Collected samples were strictly limited to those cuts that had the
slaughter date on the label, were identied properly by muscle, and vacuum packaged (fresh, never frozen). Some packers delivered the meat
at the laboratory. When it was not possible, the samples were

transported (35 h) in insulated containers with cooling gels to keep

the meat refrigerated.
Upon arrival at the laboratory, slaughter date was recorded. Then all
samples were stored at 23 C. All analyses commenced at day 7 post
mortem because US imports usually arrive in Mexico 5 to 9 days post
mortem, whereas locally sourced products reach the market 2 to
5 days post mortem. Thus, 7 days was used to provide consistency for
data collection.
At day 7, the packages were opened and four steaks 2.5 cm in thickness were removed from the central portion of each muscle. Steaks
were placed in trays and stored for 30 min at 23 C before measuring
pH and meat color. Next, one steak was immediately used for WarnerBratzler shear force and cook loss determinations. The other three
steaks were vacuum packaged and frozen in still air (at 30 C) and
stored (at 20 C) for 1 to 2 months when all other analyses (chemical
composition, emulsion properties, and consumer sensory tests) were
conducted.
2.2. Chemical composition
Moisture, protein (Nx6.25), and fat content of samples were determined following the AOAC ofcial methods of analysis (AOAC, 2005).
2.3. Color and ultimate pH
Color measurements were performed according to the American
Meat Science Association Guidelines (AMSA, 2012). For that purpose,
we used a portable spectrophotometer HunterLab MiniScan EZ
4500L (Hunter Associates Laboratory, Reston, Virginia) set with illuminant D65, observer at 10, an aperture size of 25 mm, the specular component excluded, and the CIELAB scale. Color data (L*, a*, b*, C*, and h*)
were collected with the aid of OnColor QC Lite software, version 6
(Cyberchrome, Inc., New Paltz, NY). The spectrophotometer was calibrated before conducting the measurements and after one hour of operation or 100 readings (whatever happened rst). When possible, each
of the four steaks was measured in three different sites, in a region
free of fat deposits or connective tissue. Hence, color data recorded
from each 4-steak group consisted of 912 different readings, which
were averaged for statistical comparisons.
After color evaluation, the ultimate pH (pHu) was measured by placing a digital pH meter with a penetration probe and automatic temperature compensation (Hanna Instruments, H199163, Woonsocket,
Rhode Island, USA) in two different sites of the steak that was previously
designated for chemical composition analysis. The pHu value was calculated as the average of the two readings taken from each steak.

Table 1
Number of pork samples of each muscle and country of origin.
Country

2.4. Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and cook loss

Muscle
Semimembranosus Triceps
brachii

Mexican
state
Jalisco
Sonora
Puebla
Veracruz
Yucatn
Guanajuato
Total
US purveyors
Company 1
Company 2
Company 3
Company 4
Company 5
Total
a

(SIAP, 2015).

Share of national pork

production, %a
19.2
17.4
12.2
9.2
9.0
8.4
75.4

35
34
22
17
16
22
146

35
34
22
17
16
22
146

28
28
29
28
28
141

140
0
0
0
0
140

The WBSF was measured according to AMSA Research Guidelines for

Cookery, Sensory Evaluation, and Instrumental Tenderness Measurements of Fresh Meat (AMSA, 2015). The steaks were removed from
the refrigerator and equilibrated at 1013 C before recording the raw
weight. Thereafter, iron-constantan thermo-couples of b 0.05 cm diameter (Omega Engineering Inc., Stamford, USA) were inserted into the
center of each steak. The steaks were cooked on a George Foreman
clam-shell grill until they reach an internal temperature of 71 C. Endpoint temperature was monitored using a portable digital thermometer,
then steaks were removed from the grill and the cooked weight was recorded for cook loss calculation. Afterwards, from ve to eight 1.27-cm
diameter cores were obtained, parallel to the longitudinal orientation of
muscle bers using an automated coring device. Each core was cut perpendicularly to the muscle ber using a Warner-Bratzler shear blade
(1.0 mm straight edged blade, v-shaped, 60 angle, 100 mm/min shear
rate, 1.5 mm blade slot) attached to a WarnerBratzler shear machine
(G-R Manufacturing Company, Manhattan, KS, USA). The peak force

E.J. Delgado-Surez et al. / Meat Science 122 (2016) 125131

(N) was recorded from the force deformation curves of all cores from
the same sample and then averaged.

Table 2
Number of consumer panelists evaluating each muscle per city and their demographic
data.a

2.5. Water holding capacity (WHC)

The WHC was measured by the lter paper press method of Grau
and Hamm (1953), as modied by Tomovi et al. (2014). Briey, a portion of 0.3 0.05 g from the interior of the muscle sample was placed
on a lter paper Whatman No. 1 (110 mm diameter) between two polycarbonate plates under a pressure of 2 kg for 5 min. The analysis was
performed in duplicate. The WHC was expressed as the ratio of the
area of the pressed meat lm (M) and the wet area on the lter paper
(T) converted to percentage. Thus, a larger percentage is indicative of
greater WHC. The corresponding areas were determined using a digital
planimeter.
2.6. Emulsion properties
The emulsion capacity (EC) was determined using a modication of
the method described by Zorba, Gokalp, Yetim, and Ockerman (1993a,
1993b); Arcos-Garcia, Totosaus, Guerrero, and Perez-Chabela (2002);
Arslan (2006), and (Saroban et al., 2008). Briey, 100 mL of 1 M
NaCl were homogenized with 25 g minced meat samples for 3 min by
using a domestic blender (45020 Oster, Jarden Corp., NY, U.S.A).
Next, 2.5 g homogenate and 37.5 mL additional salt solution were transferred to a blender jar tted with two copper electrodes connected to a
digital voltmeter (Tektronics, Beaverton, OR, U.S.A.). While continuously stirring, corn oil was added at a rate of 0.5 mL/s to form an emulsion
using Ultra Turrax-T-18 homogenizer (IKA Works, Inc., U.S.A) at
13,000 rpm. The amount of emulsied oil was determined when a sudden change in resistance was observed and phase inversion occurred.
The emulsion stability (ES) was determined by the modied method
of Zorba et al. (1993a, 1993b) and Arslan (2006). Emulsion was prepared as in EC by adding 40 mL corn oil. Subsequently, 10 g emulsion
was weighed into a centrifuge tube and placed into a water bath at
80 C for 30 min, cooled to room temperature and centrifuged at
4000g for 15 min. The amount of any separated water (ES1) or oil
(ES2) was measured to calculate the ES with the following formula:
ES % 100ES1 ES2; whereby
ES1 % volume of separated water mL  10
ES2 % volume of separated oil mL  d  10
d 0:91g=mL; the density of corn oil

2.7. Consumer acceptance tests

In order to gather information from consumers across Mexico, the
sensory tests were conducted in cities from the north (Hermosillo, Sonora), center (Mexico City), and south (Mrida) of Mexico. Two sessions
with consumer panelists (one per each muscle) were conducted on separate dates in each city. A total of 551 participants were voluntarily recruited to take part in the sensory tests. The number of panelists per
muscle and city, as well as their demographic information is presented
in Table 2.
The test panels were conducted following the American Meat Science Association guidelines (AMSA, 2015). The steaks were cooked as
previously described for WBSF. Upon reaching the desired internal temperature (71 C), steaks were removed from the grill. Subsequently, the
over-cooked surfaces were removed from the steaks, which were then
portioned into cubes of uniform dimensions (approximately 2 cm3).
Next, warm portions of TB or SM muscles from either the USA or Mexico
were randomly selected from each steak and placed in plastic dishes
(identied with three-digit random numbers about 24 h before
conducting the test), and served immediately to the panelists. The portions that were not readily served were kept in a closed container that

127

City
Hermosillo

Mexico City

Mrida

80
80

115
92

93
91

Age
1830
3145
4655
N55

57
53
42
8

166
22
11
8

163
8
4
9

Sex
Men
Women

56
103

115
87

74
110

Frequency of pork consumption

12 times per week
104
12 times per month
31
b1 time per month
16

114
70
25

145
27
12

Muscle
SM
TB

a
b

Some panelists did not provide demographic data and/or the record was illegible.
SM: semimembranosus; TB: triceps brachii.

was placed in hot water at about 60 C (for not N 10 min) until served
to the panelists. Consumers scored the samples for aroma, avor, tenderness, juiciness, and overall liking by means of a hedonic 7-point
scale from 1 (dislike very much) through 7 (like very much). When consumers rated samples with a score between 5 and 7 (like slightly, like
moderately, and like very much), such judgment was considered a positive rating.
2.8. Statistical analysis
Descriptive statistics were estimated and data were subjected to
analysis of variance with the aid of the General Linear Model procedure
of Statgraphics Centurion XV software, version 15.2.05 for Windows
(Statpoint Technologies Inc., Warrenton, VA). The model included the
xed main effects of country of origin (COO: Mexico vs. USA) and muscle (SM vs. TB), their interaction, as well as the source of the meat (Mexican state or US company) as a random factor nested within muscle and
COO. When signicant (P b 0.05) F-values were found, except for the
source effect, which is not of interest for this research, means were
separated using the Tukey's range procedure. For some quality attributes (i.e. pH, L*, WBSF, cook loss and WHC), we calculated the proportion of samples with extreme values (associated with potential quality
problems), according to the criteria presented in Table 3. Finally, consumer sensory ratings for each muscle were analyzed separately by
means of the Kruskall-Wallis test. When signicant (P b 0.05) differences were detected, we compared the proportion of positive consumer
ratings ( 5 in the hedonic 7-point scale) for palatability traits across
cities and COO.

Table 3
Criteria used to identify extreme values associated with pork quality defects.
Extreme
values

Quality problem

Reference

pHu b 5.5

PSE pork, poor

WHC
DFD pork
Tough pork

(Lesiw & Xiong, 2013)

(Gurdia et al., 2005)
(Moeller et al., 2010b)

Low yield, poor

juiciness

(Aaslyng, Bejerholm, Ertbjerg, Bertram, &

Andersen, 2003)

Exudative pork
DFD pork
PSE pork

(Tomovi et al., 2014)

(Jzl et al., 2012)
(McDonagh, Troy, Kerry, & Mullen, 2005)

pHu N 6.2
WBSF N 39
N
Cook loss N
25%
WHC b 36%
L* 45
L* 60

128

E.J. Delgado-Surez et al. / Meat Science 122 (2016) 125131

3. Results

Table 4
Instrumental color variables least square means for muscle COO interaction.

3.1. Chemical composition

Semimembranosus

There was no muscle type COO interaction effect (P = 0.3043) on

moisture content. However, muscle type (P b 0.0027) and COO
(P b 0.0001) independently affected the variation in moisture content.
Samples from Mexico had lower moisture content (70.3%, SEM = 0.2,
n = 291) than US counterparts (71.4%, SEM = 0.2, n = 281), whereas
SM had lower moisture (70.6%, SEM = 0.2, n = 289) than that of TB
(71.1%, SEM = 0.2, n = 283). Despite these differences, distribution of
moisture was similar across countries and muscles, with 95% of all samples having 6575% moisture (data not graphically shown).
For both intramuscular fat and protein, a muscle COO interaction
(P b 0.0001) was detected (Fig. 1). SM samples from Mexico (SM-MX)
had a higher protein content than those from the USA (SM-USA). Conversely, the protein content of TB samples between countries was similar (Fig. 1a). In regard to fat content, SM samples from both countries
did not differ (P N 0.05). The effect of COO was more noticeable in TB
samples where those of Mexico had nearly 0.5% more fat than the US
equivalents (Fig. 1b).

3.2. Ultimate pH (pHu) and instrumental color

Muscle type signicantly affected (P b 0.0001) pHu of pork, with that
of TB (6.10, SEM = 0.02, n = 283) 0.3 units higher than that of SM
(5.83, SEM = 0.03, n = 289). Differences due to COO, though signicant
(P = 0.0003), were not as strong. Pork sourced from Mexico had lower
pHu (5.93, SEM = 0.03, n = 291) than its US counterpart (6.00, SEM =

n
L*
a*
b*
C*
abc

SE1

Triceps brachii

Mexico

U.S.A.

Mexico

U.S.A.

149
52.7a
11.8c
17.5bc
21.3c

141
51.7a
14.1b
18.2b
23.1b

143
47.2c
15.0b
16.8c
22.6bc

140
49.6b
18.8a
19.7a
27.2a

4.7
3.9
3.9
5.3

Means with a different superscript letter in the same row are signicantly different (P b

0.05).
1
Standard error of estimation.
P b 0.001.

0.02, n = 281). The analysis did not show signicant muscle COO interaction for this variable (P = 0.1146).
There was a muscle COO interaction (P b 0.05) effect on all instrumental color variables but h*, which was affected independently by
muscle and COO (P b 0.05). Lightness was similar in SM from both countries (P N 0.05), with L* values N 50 (Table 4). Although TB from both
countries had lower L* as compared to SM (P b 0.05), that of Mexico
had the lowest mean value (47.2). Moreover, color intensity was higher
in US pork (both muscles), as indicated by redness (a*), yellowness (b*)
and color saturation (C*) values, which were up to 2 to 4 units higher as
compared to that of Mexico. On the other hand, the hue angle (h*) indicated US pork has a more reddish appearance (49.5, SEM = 0.2, n =
281) as compared to that of Mexico (52.4, SEM = 0.2, n = 291). Likewise, the predominance of red color was more evident in TB (47.4,
SEM = 0.2, n = 283) than in SM (54.4, SEM = 0.17, n = 291).
3.3. Warner Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and cook loss

Mexico

Protein content, %

a)
24.2
24.0
23.8
23.6
23.4
23.2
23.0
22.8

USA

SM

n
SEM

b)

TB

SM-Mexico
148
0.1

SM-USA
141
0.1
Mexico

TB-Mexico
143
0.1

TB-USA
140
0.1

USA

There was a signicant muscle COO interaction effect (P b 0.0001)

on WBSF of pork, with SM-USA having a mean value 3 N lower than that
of SM-MX. The opposite occurred for TB, whereby TB-USA had a mean
WBSF 5 N higher than that of TB-MX (Fig. 2).
Cook loss was not affected by muscle type (P = 0.7007), with a mean
value close to 19% across muscles. However, this variable was signicantly affected by COO (P = 0.0385). US pork lost about 1% more weight
during cooking than that of Mexico (19.5 6.6 vs. 18.5 5.6%, respectively). Despite these differences, nearly 70% of the data from both
countries fell in the 1325% interval (Fig. 3).
3.4. Water holding capacity (WHC)
There was a signicant muscle COO interaction for WHC (P =
0.0315). Both muscles from the USA had similar WHC (P N 0.05),

3.0

Mexico

USA

2.5

ab
b

2.0

WBSF, N

Fat content, %

45.0
40.0

35.0
30.0

b
b
c

25.0

1.5
SM

TB

20.0
SM

n
SEM

SM-Mexico
148
0.03

SM-USA
141
0.03

TB-Mexico
143
0.03

TB-USA
140
0.03

Fig. 1. Least square means of muscle COO interaction for a) protein and b) fat content of
pork samples. (SM: semimembranosus; TB: triceps brachii). abc Means with different letters
are signicantly different (P b 0.05).

n
SEM

SM-Mexico
148
0.7

TB
SM-USA
141
0.7

TB-Mexico
143
0.8

TB-USA
140
0.7

Fig. 2. Least square means of muscle COO interaction for WBSF of pork muscles. (SM:
semimembranosus; TB: triceps brachii). abc Means with different letters are signicantly
different (P b 0.05).

E.J. Delgado-Surez et al. / Meat Science 122 (2016) 125131

USA (n=281)

Mexico

55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

ES, %

Cook loss, %

Mexico (n=291)

129

53.0
52.0
51.0
50.0
49.0
48.0
47.0
46.0
45.0

USA

a
ab
bc
c

SM

Fig. 3. Dispersion of cook loss values of pork semimembranosus and triceps brachii muscles
(all samples collected).

with mean values close to 45% (Fig. 4). WHC of TB-MX was slightly
lower (43%) while that of SM-MX was the only one below 40%.

n
SEM

SM-Mexico
147
0.7

TB
SM-USA
139
0.8

TB-Mexico
142
0.8

TB-USA
140
0.8

Fig. 5. Least square mean of muscle COO interaction for ES of pork samples. (SM:
semimembranosus; TB: triceps brachii). abc Means with different letters are signicantly
different (P b 0.05).

3.5. Emulsion properties

There was no effect of the COO on the EC (P = 0.3071) or ES (P =
0.8774) of pork. The mean EC of US samples was 69.0% (SEM = 1.4,
n = 279) while that of the Mexican ones was 66.9% (SEM = 1.5, n =
291). On the other hand, EC of SM was higher (P b 0.05) than that of
TB (72.5, SEM = 1.4, n = 287 vs. 63.5, SEM = 1.4, n = 283, respectively). Moreover, there was a signicant muscle COO interaction (P =
0.0195) for ES (Fig. 5). The mean ES of SM-USA was about 2% higher
(P b 0.05) than that of SM-MX (52.1 vs. 50.5, respectively) while the opposite was true for TB, where that of Mexico had a mean ES about 2 units
higher than that of USA (49.5 vs. 47.6, respectively).
3.6. Proportion of samples with results associated with pork quality defects
The percentage of SM samples with results in undesirable intervals
was higher in pork from Mexico in practically all variables, except for
high pHu (Table 5). For instance, SM-MX had from 2 to 3 times more
samples with low pHu, high WBSF, and high cook loss as compared to
SM-USA. The most critical difference was observed in the incidence of
low WHC, in which SM-MX had nearly 4 times more samples in this category than SM-USA.
As for TB samples, those from Mexico had lower proportions of high
pHu, high WBSF, high cook loss, and high L* values than their US equivalents. The differences were particularly striking in WBSF, whereby TBUSA doubled the percentage of potentially tough pork samples in relation to TB-MX. Conversely, TB samples from the USA outperformed

Mexico

WHC, %

ab

40.0

3.7. Consumer acceptance

For the SM, COO did not affect consumer ratings for any palatability
trait (P N 0.05). Instead, the city where the consumer panel was carried
out affected all the studied variables (P b 0.05). For instance, approximately 7 out of 10 consumers from Mrida assigned positive ratings
to all sensory attributes except juiciness, which received b 50% positive
scores (Table 6). In Mexico City, results were in the order of those observed in Mrida. However, pork aroma received b50% of positive ratings at this venue. Finally, consumers from Hermosillo showed the
lowest acceptability for this pork muscle, with only 56 out of 10 panelists giving positive ratings across palatability traits.
Among TB samples, overall acceptability was the only trait affected
by COO (P = 0.0072). Consumers preferred TB-MX to TB-USA, as
shown by the proportion of positive ratings (87.1 vs. 81.7%, respectively). Again, consumer acceptance was signicantly different (P b 0.0001)
across cities. Opposite to results observed for SM, consumers from Hermosillo gave the highest ratings to TB samples, with approximately
90% of panelists giving positive scores across palatability traits. Results
from Mexico City were also intermediate, while those from Mrida were
the lowest. Still, the frequency of positive ratings was generally higher
than that observed for SM samples.
4. Discussion

USA

50.0
45.0

those from Mexico in the frequency of low L* and WHC values (1.8
and 2.6 times lower proportions, respectively).

a
b

In terms of chemical composition, despite the observed statistical

mean differences in moisture and protein content, the distribution of
data shows the implications of these differences are of minor practical
importance. These results are similar to those reported for lean pork in

35.0
Table 5
Percentage of samples with results associated with pork quality defects across muscles
and COO.

30.0
25.0

Extreme values

Quality problem

20.0

n
SEM

SM
SM-Mexico
148
0.7

SM-USA
141
0.7

TB-Mexico
143
0.7

TB
TB-USA
140
0.7

Fig. 4. Least square means of muscle COO interaction for WHC of pork samples. (SM:
semimembranosus; TB: triceps brachii). abc Means with different letters are signicantly
different (P b 0.05).

pHu b 5.5
pHu N 6.2
WBSF N 39 N
Cook loss N 25%
WHC b 36%
L* 45
L* 60

PSE pork, poor WHC

DFD pork
Tough pork
Low yield, poor juiciness
Exudative pork
DFD pork
PSE pork

Semimembranosus

Triceps brachii

Mexico

USA

Mexico

USA

10.8
4.7
11.5
23.5
58.5
6.7
5.4

3.4
7.1
3.6
12.8
16.3
5.0
5.0

0.0
34.3
22.4
11.2
23.8
32.2
0.0

0.0
38.6
47.1
12.1
9.3
17.9
7.1

130

E.J. Delgado-Surez et al. / Meat Science 122 (2016) 125131

Table 6
Percentage of positive ratingsa (5) for palatability traits of pork semimembranosus (SM)
and triceps brachii (TB) muscles from both countries assigned by Mexican consumers
across cities.
Palatability trait

n
Aroma
Flavor
Tenderness
Juiciness
Overall acceptability

Hermosillo

Mexico City

Mrida

SM

TB

SM

TB

SM

TB

160
50.0
61.9
56.3
55.6
63.1

160
85.0
86.3
91.3
92.5
91.9

230
47.8
70.9
70.4
66.1
70.0

92
65.8
79.9
83.2
79.9
87.0

186
71.5
76.9
66.7
47.9
75.8

182
77.5
70.3
68.7
56.0
75.3

a
Consumer sensory panel ratings based on a hedonic 7-point scale (1 = dislike very
much through 7 = like very much).

previous studies (Greeneld et al., 2009; Mndez-Medina et al., 2009;

Needham & Hoffman, 2015; Van Heerden & Smith, 2013).
The average fat content observed in this survey ( 2.5% across
muscles and COO) are comparable to those reported previously in
lean pork muscles (Mariezcurrena-Berasain et al., 2014; Mas et al.,
2011; Mndez-Medina et al., 2009; Tomovi et al., 2014). Still, the
very low fat content observed for TB-USA is a clear disadvantage,
considering the well-documented relationship of intramuscular fat
with pork tenderness and other palatability traits (Tatum, Smith,
Berry, & Murphey, 1980). This was further conrmed by results for
WBSF and consumer overall acceptability, whereby TB-MX, with a
higher fat content, had lower WBSF and was preferred over TB-USA
by consumers.
Variation in quality traits due to muscle was expected given the inherent differences in anatomical location, muscle function, and the predominant ber type and metabolism (Christensen, Henckel, & Purslow,
2004; Hambrecht et al., 2005; Karlsson, Klont, & Fernandez, 1999;
Purslow, 2005; Tomovi et al., 2014). In this study, TB exhibited higher
pHu and WHC than SM. Moreover, it also received higher consumer ratings for practically all palatability traits studied. These ndings are in
agreement with previous research, showing the higher the pHu the better the perception of sensory traits (Moeller et al., 2010a; Moeller et al.,
2010b). The superior avor of TB should be considered as a practical advantage because this attribute is a key quality trait expected by Mexican
traders (Murphy et al., 2015). These ndings suggest it is worth exploring the potential success of marketing programs based on individual
cuts.
For other uses of pork, such as the major ingredient of processed
products, emulsion properties and WHC are highly valued. In this research, both EC and WHC were signicantly affected by muscle type.
While SM had a better EC, the WHC of TB was signicantly higher,
which was likely due to its higher pH (6.10). Therefore, combinations
of specic muscles could be a good strategy towards the optimization
of functional properties of pork as a raw material for meat batters.
Most of the quality traits under study were affected by the muscle
type COO interaction. Therefore, looking at results for each muscle
across COO provides a better picture of the quality of the pork supply
in the Mexican market.
Within SM samples, those from the USA outperformed their Mexican equivalents in most of the quality traits. The higher frequency of
low pHu and WHC values observed in SM-MX (Table 5) has been linked
to lower technological quality (Barbut et al., 2008; Lesiw & Xiong,
2013) and a greater incidence of PSE pork (Jzl et al., 2012). Moreover,
since desirable lean color is important to Mexican traders (Murphy et
al., 2015), the color decient SM-MX would be at a critical disadvantage,
especially since the leg muscles are of high economic importance to the
meat industry (USDA, 2016).
We believe poorer pre-slaughter handling practices of pigs, as well as
slower carcass chilling rates in slaughterhouses from Mexico are signicant contributors to the observed results. Both factors are known to

cause a faster pH decline, as well as lower pHu values (Rosenvold &

Andersen, 2003; Rosenvold, Borup, & Therkildsen, 2010; Shackelford,
King, & Wheeler, 2012). The genetic background of pigs (i.e. halothane
or Rendement Napole genes) has also been linked to PSE-like pork
(Rosenvold & Andersen, 2003). Nevertheless, the incidence of
both genes in the commercial pig population of Mexico is very low
(Camacho-Rea, Arechavaleta-Velasco, Braa-Varela, & Ramrez-Ramrez,
2013; Martnez-Quintana, Alarcn-Rojo, Ortega-Gutirrez, &
Janacua-Vidales, 2006). Thus, the signicance of this factor is arguable.
Among TB samples, those from the USA had better WHC in relation
to their Mexican counterparts. Nevertheless, such difference is not as
critical as commented previously for SM. In fact, the mean WHC of TBMX was above 40%, which is considered satisfactory from a technological standpoint (Tomovi et al., 2014).
Interestingly, TB samples from Mexico had better results for pHu,
WBSF, and ES than their US counterparts. Some possible causes behind
these results include genetic differences of slaughter pigs in both countries, which can be linked to the economic value of pork cuts. For instance, in Mexico pork shoulder cuts have nearly triple the value they
have in the USA (SNIIM, 2015; USDA/ERS, 2015). Therefore, breeding
programs in Mexico and the USA may have different orientations,
which could affect the quality of shoulder cuts differentially.
In regard to eating quality, Mexican consumers from three different
cities detected no differences in palatability traits of both muscles due to
COO, except for overall acceptability of TB. The latter was higher in TBMX than TB-USA. Nonetheless, such difference is of minor importance
since both pork sources had a high proportion (N80%) of positive scores.
These ndings show Mexican consumers equally accept the eating
quality of fresh pork from both countries.
On the other hand, the observed variation of consumer sensory ratings across cities proved consumer acceptance of individual pork muscles varies by region. Moreover, TB sustained a higher proportion of
positive ratings for palatability traits as compared to SM. This may be
due to the higher pHu of TB as compared to that of SM. This postulate
is in agreement with previous reports showing the higher the pHu the
better the consumer perception of pork (Moeller et al., 2010b). Overall,
these results suggest regional preferences may be exploited for a better
fulllment of consumer expectations.

5. Conclusions
This study compared numerous pork quality traits for similar cuts
sourced from Mexico and the USA. Results varied through a wide
range of values, including those commonly associated with meat quality
defects. The poorer technological quality of domestic SM in relation to
its US equivalent is an important disadvantage, considering leg muscles
are highly demanded by the meat processing industry. On the other
hand, domestic TB seems to be a better alternative for fresh pork consumption, as compared to its US counterpart. Finally, regional differences on consumer sensory ratings across muscles suggest it is worth
exploring the feasibility of marketing programs based on individual
cuts.

Acknowledgments
U.S. Meat Export Federation funded this research through the service
contract AMEXITEC 2015-1 with funds from the Market Access Program
of the Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA) and the Pork Check-off
through the National Pork Board (NPB). The authors wish to thank
Eng. Jennyfer Ortega and Dr. Francisco Ruz for their very valuable assistance with samples' gathering and other procurement logistics. Likewise, we appreciate the valued support of Dr. Argenis Rodas-Gonzlez,
Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg,
Canada, in reviewing the statistical analyses.

E.J. Delgado-Surez et al. / Meat Science 122 (2016) 125131

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