Review: Production and consumption of pork meat with different levels of boar taint / Revisión: Producción y consumo de carne de cerdo con diferentes niveles de olor sexual

Abstract

Boar taint or sexual odor is a sensorial defect (a disagreeable smell) that occurs in some meat from entire male pigs. The main compounds responsible are androstenone and skatole stored in the fat of the animal. The main technique for reducing the androstenone level in the meat is by castration, either surgically or by immunocastration. Recent studies in the field of immunocastration appear to provide a solution to the androstenone problem by reducing the levels of this substance while taking advantage of the yield and carcass quality of entire male pigs. The quantity of skatole is mainly affected by the diet and handling of the pigs. The consumer decides whether to accept or reject the meat from male pigs according to the presence or absence of boar taint. However, variations in the consumer response depending on country, preparation and type of product consumed, as well as the individual's sensitivity to sexual odor, can be observed by looking at different works. According to some of these studies, UK, Irish, Canadian and US consumers will more readily accept meat from entire male pigs than consumers from France, Sweden, the Netherlands and Spain.