Nuclear magnetic resonance measurements on pork of various qualities.

Nuclear magnetic resonance measurements were made on pork samples from pigs of various genetic types (Large White, halothane positive and halothane-negative Pietrain) slaughtered either under minimal stress or somewhat stressful conditions. The (1)H spin-lattice (T(1)) and spin-spin (T(2)) relaxation times of water protons were recorded. The observed T(1) was single-exponential but a two-component T(2) relaxation behaviour (components referred to as T(2a) and T(2b)) was observed. Highly significant relationships were found between T(1) and all the meat characteristics studied. T(2a) was related only to ultimate pH and cooking loss, whereas T(2b) was more closely related to the rate of post-mortem pH fall and protein denaturation criteria.