Meat purchase resulted in an unexpected issue: the primary blunder of shoppers
In recent times, Russian consumers have been grappling with issues of bland pork quality. This article aims to shed light on the factors contributing to this problem, delving into aspects such as animal husbandry practices, the occurrence of Pale, Soft, Exudative (PSE) meat, and processes related to freezing and meat handling.
PSE meat, a major cause of poorer pork quality and blandness, arises primarily due to pre-slaughter stress in pigs. This stress triggers vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels) and muscle contractions that expel water from muscle capillaries, reducing total muscle hydration. The result is meat that is pale, soft, and has higher drip loss, ultimately affecting taste, texture, and juiciness. Even with rapid chilling, the stress effects cause capillary collapse, causing water loss during freezing and thawing, significantly diminishing meat quality and yield.
Animal husbandry issues such as poor handling, transport stress, and inadequate pre-slaughter conditions increase the likelihood of PSE development and blunt flavor due to lower retained muscle fluids. Furthermore, deep freezing can physically damage tissue microstructure (capillaries) by ice crystal formation, which prevents rehydration after thawing and worsens meat blandness and texture.
Russia’s challenges with pork quality, including blandness and structural defects, connect to these physiological and handling factors, compounded by labor shortages and disruptions in supply chains that may limit optimal husbandry and processing practices. While withholding information about specific additives like ractopamine (widely banned elsewhere) affecting flavor or pork quality was not explicitly found for Russia, overall animal stress and post-slaughter treatment remain critical causes.
A meat cutter with 20 years of experience commented that pork without the smell of meat often has quality issues and may have been raised using methods aimed at rapid weight gain, not quality. This observation aligns with the findings of the scientific community, suggesting that the lack of aroma could be a sign of poor husbandry practices or the use of hormonal preparations for accelerated growth.
However, the pork can also be bland even without prior processing. The appearance of pork does not always indicate its taste and aroma. A piece of pork was purchased for 209 rubles, intended for roasting and making pea soup from the bones. Despite its appealing appearance, the pork, despite its appealing appearance, did not meet expectations in terms of taste and smell.
The lack of smell and taste in pork can be attributed to several reasons, including violation of animal husbandry conditions, improper feeding, or the use of hormonal preparations for accelerated growth. Deep freezing and repeated thawing can also lead to a loss of taste and aroma in pork. A similar instance of bland meat occurred with pre-marinated shashlik, where the initial assumption for the bland taste was chemical additives.
In summary, the causes of bland pork in Russia are largely due to stress-induced PSE conditions in pork, mishandling in animal husbandry and processing, and quality degradation from freezing techniques disrupting meat microstructure, all of which reduce muscle water retention and alter meat flavor and texture. Consumers are advised to be vigilant about the sources of their pork and to support farmers who prioritise animal welfare and quality over rapid weight gain.
- The scientific community suggests that poor husbandry practices or the use of hormonal preparations for accelerated growth in pigs can lead to a lack of aroma and taste in the resulting pork, potentially contributing to the issues of bland pork quality that Russian consumers are currently facing.
- In addition to stress-induced PSE conditions, mishandling in animal husbandry and processing can also reduce muscle water retention in pork, which alters meat flavor and texture, potentially leading to a bland taste.
- Consumers who prioritize health and wellness, as well as food and drink that enhance their lifestyle and food-and-drink choices, should be vigilant about the sources of their pork and support farmers who prioritize animal welfare and quality over rapid weight gain, in an effort to improve the taste and overall quality of the pork they consume.
