The current study was conducted to identify technology for the production of high quality pork, based on the meat consumption habits of consumers. Macsumsuk, a type of kaolinite (a clay mineral), and/or a mixture of herbs (Mori Folium, Sophorae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Citri Leiocarpae Exocarpium, and Pogostemi Herba) were added to the diets of fattening pigs. Sixty barrow pigs (4 kinds of treatment × 5 pigs/treatment × 3 replicates) were randomly assigned to either the Control (no additives), T1 (3% Macsumsuk), T2 (3% Herb mixtures), or T3 (3% Macsumsuk + 3% Herb mixtures) groups, and were fed the diets for 60 d. Dressed weights were in the order of T1 (93.40±4.68kg) > T2 (91.40±6.52kg) > Control (88.80±1.57kg) > T3 (86.80±2.01kg). Back-fat thickness of the Control animals (23.2±1.03) was significantly greater than that of the various treatment groups (p<0.01). Numeric values representing the carcass yield and quality grade were higher for all the treated groups than the Control group, thought the difference was not statistically significant. Crude fat content was significantly higher in the Control group (2.23±0.34%) than in the treated groups (p<0.05). The addition of both Macsumsuk and herb mixtures into the diets of the pigs significantly reduced cooking loss of the pork compared to the Control (p<0.05). No statistically significant changes were observed in the shear force (average 5.87±0.54 kg/cm2), water holding capacity (average 54.59±3.16%), or CIE values of the pork, whereas cholesterol levels significantly decreased (p<0.01) in those fed Macsumsuk and/or the herb mixtures. No significant changes in fatty acid composition, total saturated fatty acid (SFA), total unsaturated fatty acid (UFA), or UFA/SFA ratios were observed by any of the treatments. In conclusion, the results obtained from this study suggest that the addition of Macsumsuk and/or herb mixtures into the diets of growing and fattening pigs improves the pork quality by reducing cooking loss, decreasing cholesterol content, and enhancing sensory characteristics.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different castration ages on meat quality and sensory properties of Korean native black goats over 410 days. For the experiment, 32 heads of goat (eight heads/4 treatment) were subjected to either a control (5 month non-castration), T1 (7 month castration), T2 (5 month castration) or T3 (3 month castration). The total weight gain for Korean native black goats was highest in the T2 group after feeding for 410 days and the weight gain/ day tended to be similar to the total weight gain. The total feeding amounts were lowest (410.82 kg) in T3; however, the feed intake ratio was 16.39 in T2, indicating that it had the best feed efficiency among groups. The cooking loss and drip loss of the Korean native black goats was highest in the control, being 35.53% and 2.08%, respectively (p<0.05), while the total cholesterol of the treatments was higher than that of the control (p<0.05). Moreover, the overall sensory evaluation of the treatment groups was low, indicating that there was more meat flavor when compared to the controls in terms of juiciness, tenderness, flavor, texture, black goat off-flavor and overall evaluation (p<0.05). T2 was found to have the best meat flavor upon sensory evaluation. Additionally, the meat color of the control showed the highest L * value and Hue value, while T3 showed the highest a * value (3.61) and T2 showed the highest b * value and Chroma. The composition of fatty acids was 53.76% oleic acid in T2, while the amounts of Mono-unsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) were highest in T1 and T2 (p<0.05). As a result, the MUFA/SFA ratios of T1 and T2 were higher than those of the control (p<0.05). In conclusion, it is most advantageous to castrate Korean native black goats at the age of 5 months for the best performance and meat quality.

The current study was conducted to compare the growth performance and physico-chemical characteristics of Hanwoo bulls and steers of different slaughtering ages. Thirty-six Hanwoo (average age, 13-mon) were allocated into either a bull or steer group (18 animals/group). Each group was sub-divided into 26-, 28-, and 30-mon-old age groups (six animals/group). Surgical castration was performed in the steer group immediately after the experimental groups were assigned. Growth performance of the animals, as well as carcass characteristics and fatty acid composition of M. longissimus dorsi were determined. Cold carcass weights increased as carcass slaughtering age increased in both Hanwoo bulls and steers (p<0.05). Backfat thickness was thickest (p<0.05) in 28-mon-old Hanwoo bulls and 30-mon-old steer, and the M. longissimus dorsi area was widest (p< 0.05) in 28-mon-old Hanwoo bulls and steers. Marbling score, cooking loss, and water holding capacity (WHC) were higher (p<0.05) in 30-mon-old Hanwoo bulls and steers as slaughtering age increased. The shear force value was highest in 30-mon-old Hanwoo bulls and 26-mon-old Hanwoo steers compared to that in other groups. The unsaturated fatty acid composition in M. longissimus dorsi was significantly (p<0.05) higher in 28-and 30-mon-old Hanwoo bulls and steers than that in other groups. The results suggest that castration, even at late stages of Hanwoo development, improved beef carcass quality grade, and that no difference in beef quality grade had occurred (marbling score and WHC) in 28-and 30-mon-old slaughtering age Hanwoo steers.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of different crude protein levels in the concentrates on carcass and meat quality of Hanwoo steers. A total of thirty 5.3-month-old castrated Hanwoo calves (135.6±10.52 kg) were randomly allocated into either control or treatment group. The animals were separately housed to 5 heads per group. Crude protein levels in concentrates for growing, fattening, and finishing phases were 14, 13, and 11% for control group and 16, 15, and 14% for treatment group respectively. Comparative analysis of carcass characteristics, physico-chemical characteristics, and fatty acid composition in M. longissimus dorsi of Hanwoo steers were carried out. There was no statistical difference in average cold carcass weight between control (411.9 kg) and treatment (419.9 kg) group. Also, dietary crude protein level in concentrates did not affect M. longissimus dorsi area, backfat thickness, and meat yield index. In contrast, the marbling score in treatment group was higher (p<0.05) than the control group. Also, treatment group showed significantly higher (p<0.05) values than control group for CIE L-value, Mono-unsaturated fatty acids and oleic acid composition. Therefore increasing crude protein levels of concentrates in Hanwoo steers during growing and fattening phases might be beneficial for the improvement of meat quality.

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