Entire Male Pigs

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
   1. Objectives
   2. Learning goals
   3. Teacher page
2. Entire Male Pigs
3. Castration of male pigs
   1. Statistics
4. Legislation and enforcement
5. Origin of boar taint
   1. Androstenone
   2. Skatole
6. Reasons for castration
   1. Increase the proportion of fat
   2. Increase consumer acceptance
   3. Reduce aggression
   4. Prevent unplanned breeding
7. Surgical castration
   1. Traditional surgical castration
   2. Anaesthesia combined with castration
   3. Gas analgesics
8. Problems related to surgical castration
   1. Animal welfare
   2. Pain and behaviour - the acute response
   3. Reduced growth rate and changed behaviour after surgery
   4. Health consequences
   5. Effect of age
   6. Consumer awareness
   7. Labour cost
9. Alternatives to castration
   1. Slaughter at lower weight
   2. On-line sorting
   3. Management
   4. Breeding and sperm sexing
   5. Perceptual masking of boar taint
   6. Immunocastration
   7. Immunocastration - physiology
   8. Immunocastration - practical implications
10. Completion
    1. Comments
    2. Self-assessment
    3. Key messages
    4. Further reading
    5. Evaluation
11. Acknowledgement

Perceptual masking of boar taint

Theoretically boar taint would be less noticeable in processed products than in fresh meat because processing in various ways may mask the effects of skatole and androstenone (EFSA, 2004). In a review, Malmfors and Lundstrom (1983) concluded that cooking the meat could reduce the concentrations of both androstenone and skatole, resulting in similar taste panel responses to tainted meat and a control. Later it was shown that cooking conditions affect the perception of boar taint (EFSA, 2004). Liquid smoke has also been shown to reduce boar taint (Stolzenbach et al., 2009).

According to EFSA (2004) it seems reasonable to conclude that the incorporation of small amounts of tainted boar meat into products along with meat from castrates and gilts will go undetected by consumers in many countries. However, in some countries where no boars have been used, and especially for the production of specialist products, the use of meat from boars may cause dissatisfaction. Marinades, spices and treatments such as polyphosphates may mask boar taint, but not conclusively.