ABSTRACT
This chapter is not intended to be all inclusive, it delineates pig breeding and genetics, farm and processing plan environments, and overall industry and global pork consumption aspects of pork production, its value, and quality. Both the scientic aspects of pork quality; that is, genetic and environmental factors impacting carcass and meat quality; and their practical ramications; that is, food industry consolidation leading to the creation of vertically integrated and/or coordinated food production systems; are discussed. These systems have been focused on development of differentiated “value chains,” where the main goal is to achieve sustainable competitiveness through focusing resources on efciently producing goods that offer superior consumer-recognized quality and value. A closely aligned value chain often contains vertically and horizontally linked entities such as genetics and genetic improvement program(s), farmer(s), processor(s), distributor(s), and retailer(s). In this chapter it is postulated that the underlying foundation of the success of pork value chain accomplishments has been through substantial development of swine genetic
12.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 365 12.2 Impact of Pork Production Practices and Global Meat Trade on Supply
of Animal Protein with the Emphasis on Pork .............................................366 12.3 Impact of Pig Breeding and Genetic Determinants on Pork Quality
and Carcass Value ......................................................................................... 370 12.3.1 Innovations in Pig Breeding Programs Enabling Improvement
in Biological Efciency of Pork Production and Carcass Value ...... 370 12.3.2 Genetic Parameters of Pork Quality Traits ....................................... 372 12.3.3 Pig Breed Effects on Carcass and Pork Quality ............................... 373 12.3.4 Pig Sex Effects on Carcass and Pork Quality ................................... 374 12.3.5 The Effects of Pig Rearing Methods on Carcass and
Pork Quality .................................................................................. 376 12.3.6 The Effects of Pig Age and Weight on Carcass and Pork Quality ....... 377
12.4 Impact of Pig Feeding Programs on Carcass and Pork Quality ................... 378 12.5 Pork Quality Standards and Their Importance in Global Pork Trade .......... 379
12.5.1 Carcass Grading and Classication Systems .................................... 379 12.5.2 Pork Quality Standards and Global Trade Requirements ................380
