Physicochemical properties of pork: implications for consumer acceptance

Pork is one of the most widely consumed animal-source foods worldwide and is valued for its desirable flavour, tenderness, juiciness, nutritional composition, and versatility in food preparation. The quality and marketability of pork are strongly influenced by physicochemical properties that develop from the conversion of muscle to meat during the postmortem period and are subsequently modified by processing, storage, and cooking. Important quality attributes include colour, pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), tenderness, texture, intramuscular fat, lipid oxidation, and cooking loss. These characteristics interact with one another and collectively influence appearance, eating quality, processing performance, shelf life, and consumer purchasing decisions.