UTILIZATION OF BOAR MEAT: COMPOSITION, QUALITY AND ODOR INCIDENCE IN RELATION TO ANDROSTENONE AND SKATOLE1

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Abstract
Carcasses and(or) tissues of 510 boars and 510 barrows were analyzed for lean content, muscle quality, incidence of objectionable odor, 5α-androstenone concentration and skatole concentration. Boars and barrows differed (P < .01) in warm carcass weight (73.5 vs 80.1 kg), longissimus muscle area (36. vs 35. cm2), 10th rib fat depth (1.80 vs 2.57 cm), estimated percent muscle (56.1 vs 51.3%) and marbling score (1.73 vs 1.97). No difference (P > .05) was found for muscle color score (2.51 vs 2.45). Although odor panel scores were higher (P < .01) for boars than for barrows (1.74 vs 1.56), both scored quite low. The correlation coefficients between panel scores and 5α-androstenone content (.13) and between panel scores and skatole content (−.14) were nonsignificant (P > .05). These results indicate that boars reared in U.S. commercial production facilities produce lean meat more efficiently than barrows do and they have a low incidence of offensive odor. Concentration of 5α-androstenone and skatole in backfat proved unrelated to odor intensity.