REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Introduction
Jul (1981) defined meat quality as the total degree of satisfaction that meat gives the
consumer. Consumers ultimately drive the market, and they demand consistent, high quality
pork products. Studying and evaluating pork quality is important in order to meet these
consumer demands. In order to evaluate pork quality, several attributes need to be assessed.
These attributes may include pH, water-holding capacity, color, biochemical properties, and
sensory characteristics. These pork quality traits are complex, and it is impossible to
attribute poor overall quality to a single quality trait. In addition, quality attributes are also
influenced by external factors. These factors include both pre and post slaughter conditions.
Postmortem events such as rate of chilling and rate and extent of pH decline are important