Eating quality of pork from pure breeds and DLY studied by focus group research and meat quality analyses

The eating quality of pan-fried pork chops from the pure breeds of Duroc, Hampshire, Black spotted and Wild pigs, and of the crossbreed of Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire (DLY) was investigated by focus group research in combination with analyses of raw meat quality. The three focus groups, all consisting of young consumers, generally agreed in their description of the eating quality of the five breeds. The focus group methodology was found to be an informative method for the sensory evaluation of pork chops. Chemical and physical analyses of raw meat quality were performed in parallel with the focus group research, and this combination proved useful. The chemical and physical analyses generally supported the focus group evaluation, and differences between the breeds could be explained. Duroc was the breed with the overall best eating quality, while Hampshire had the lowest overall eating quality. DLY, Black spotted, and Wild pigs were intermediate, though not similar. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.