From: Moving towards taint-free pork – alternatives to surgical castration
Technique | Description | Reference | Advantage | Disadvantage | Considerations |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
To use methods for the screening of taint on-line | Colorimetric measurement of skatole equivalent | Mortensen & Sørensen [34] | Simple and rapid | Does not discriminate between skatole and indole. Does not measure androstenone levels | Nowadays, used in Denmark to sort out tainted carcasses |
Colorimetric measurement of 16-androstenes | Squires [35] | Simple and rapid | Does not measure skatole levels. Never been validated at slaughterhouse settings | ||
Electronic nose | Annor-Frempong et al [36] | Sensitivity and good correlation with records from human sensory panels | Does not discriminate between skatole and androstenone. Never been validated at slaughterhouse settings | ||
Immunocastration | Active immunization against gonadotropin-releasing hormone at the end of the fattening period | Bonneau et al. [31] Dunshea et al. [32] and other | Reduced boar taint, aggression behavior and mountings | Some variability between studies. Not all pigs responded to immunocastration | Consumer reaction on the meat should be studied! |
Slaughter at lower weight | 90 kg or below | Bonneau [10] Zamaratskaia et al. [23] Aldal et al. [37] | Reduced the risk of boar taint. Common practice in UK. | Reduced economy. Does not entirely eliminate the problem (Aldal et al. 2005) | Methods for androstenone measurements differed between studies |
Feeding diets rich in indigestible carbohydrates | E.g. inulin; raw potato starch; sugar beet pulp (short feeding period) | Jensen et al. [20]; Zamaratskaia et al. [23]; Rideout et al. [38]; | Reduced skatole levels. No adverse effects on growth performance or animal health. | Does not reduce androstenone levels. | Indications of lower androstenone levels after feeding raw potato starch (unpublished) |
Genetic selection | Against androstenone only | Willeke & Pirchner [29]; Sellier et al. [30] | Reduced androstenone levels | Reduced growth performance and delayed puberty in female pigs | Pigs with low androstenone when sexual mature should be chosen for such selections |
Gender selection | Elimination of male type sperm cell | Johnson [39] | Production of female-only herds | Expensive. Possibility of sperm losses and cell damages during selection | Not commercially available |