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SUMMARY The influence of breed, sex, and fatness on the quantity and eating quality of loins from 119 Duroc and 111 Yorkshire pigs was studied. Duroc pigs had significantly more intramuscular fat, smaller longissimus dorsi area, more tender, juicier loins, and less separable lean in the ham than Yorkshire pigs. Among Durocs, barrows had more desirable lean flavor than gilts. Among Yorkshires, barrows had more desirable fat flavor than gilts. In both breeds, an increase in backfat thickness was accompanied by a significant linear decrease in separable lean and increase in separable fat of the ham. Correlations among quantity indices and eating quality indicated that indices of quantity were not related to eating quality.

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SUMMARY Certain cross‐sectional variations in tenderness were studied among 97 pork loin roasts by panel, Warner‐Bratzler shear, and the slice tenderness evaluator (STE). This instrument, used with a universal testing machine and load cell, first punctures and then shears off circular meat wafers 3/8‐inch in diameter. Longissimus dorsi (loin‐eye) slices from heated roasts were graphically partitioned into six locations (two each from the dorsal, medial, and lateral areas) and resistances to STE puncture and shear were recorded. The lateral locations were the most tender, and medial locations the least tender. Correlation of panel scores with STE values was greatest for the toughest areas. Simple correlations between STE values and panel score were highly significant, with stronger relationships being noted between panel and STE shear. The noticeable difference in tenderness observed among the six pork loin‐eye locations emphasizes the importance of careful and consistent sampling methods.