GEN-MKT-18-7897-A
Oct 17, 2019 | Blogs, Food / Beverage | 0 comments
The title says it all. Boar taint is a complex subject. For some, it’s not an issue. Others argue that it’s one of the biggest challenges to pork quality. It’s a very subjective response.
In her blog, Dr. Laura Hancox illustrates the striking difference between the reactions of men and women after sniffing 2 specific pots: one filled with skatole (3-methyl-indole), and one filled with androstenone (5α-androst-16-ene-3-one). These are the 2 compounds of boar taint.
What Hancox experienced and witnessed is consistent with several studies that found that women seem to be more sensitive to boar taint. 1,2 It’s also interesting because studies have also found that about 75% of consumers can detect and taste boar taint.3 Of those consumers, 15 -30% are unable to detect androstenone but seem able to identify skatole.4,5 Clearly, these are pretty good reasons to take boar taint more seriously.
The pork producers’ painThis is where things get controversial. In efforts to eliminate tainted pork, pork producers usually resort to piglet castration, which raises animal welfare concerns. The European Union is leading the way to seek streamlined alternative solutions to pig castration. The EU Directive 2001/93/EEC, for example, lays down the minimum standards required to protect pig welfare. France and Germany are leading the pack by outlawing the castration of piglets without anesthetic by the end of 2021.
So how does a pork producer prevent tainted boars from entering the fresh food market?
Theoretically, it’s simple: identify tainted carcasses before they are distributed. That means pork producers need to quantify both androstenone and skatole. By doing so, they can remove pigs with unacceptable levels of boar taint at the slaughter line.5
However, the industry struggles to find cost-effective, rapid, validated and standardized methods that can detect boar taint compounds.
Finding the right methodAs analytical scientists, we are always looking for cutting-edge and innovative ways to solve our problems with boar taint. Common techniques include:
Effectively monitor boar taint in 8 stepsHow about an 8-step process that takes 8 seconds per analysis? The focus is on speed and accuracy. We have partnered with slaughterhouse industry experts at Phytronix to deliver a robust, rugged and rapid analytical solution for determining boar taint in meat products.
Here are the top 3 key advantages of using a SCIEX mass spectrometer and Laser Diode Thermal Desorption (LDTD):
Download the fact sheet to find out what makes this 8-step, 8-second process so effective >
References
It is no secret that (bio)pharmaceutical research and development is complex, both scientific and regulatory processes. Here is an overview of just some of the ways SCIEX is working to support these challenges.
In a recent webinar, available on demand, scientists Luiza Chrojan and Ryan Hylands from Pharmaron, provided insights into the deployment of capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE) within cell and gene therapy. Luiza and Ryan shared purity data on plasmids used for adeno-associated virus (AAV) manufacturing and data on AAV genome integrity, viral protein (VP) purity and VP ratios using the BioPhase 8800 system.
Last year, Technology Networks hosted two webinars that featured groundbreaking research utilizing SWATH DIA (data-independent acquisition) for exposomics and metabolomics. Researchers Dr. Vinicius Verri Hernandes from the University of Vienna and Dr. Cristina Balcells from Imperial College London (ICL) demonstrated how a DIA approach can be successfully implemented in small molecule analysis using the ZenoTOF 7600 system. Their innovative approaches highlight the potential of SWATH DIA to enhance the detection and analysis of chemical exposures and metabolites, paving the way for new insights into environmental health and disease mechanisms.
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