The effects of firmness of fat and the degree of finish on the evaluation of pork carcasses

Although considerable research has been done on the soft pork problem, there still remains several factors to be investigated. This work was designed to study the following problems:

1. Does soft pork shrink more in cooking than hard pork, and is soft pork palatable?

2. How does cured pork; from slightly soft carcasses compare with that from hard carcasses?

3. Does lard produced from slightly soft pork have as good keeping quality, palatability and shortening power as lard from hard pork?

4. How is the degree of firmness affected by, or related to, finish and other factors of quality?

Although considerable research data have been accumulated, one cannot but be impressed with the diversity of results secured by various stations under apparently similar conditions.