Relationship between Ca(2+) release, sarcoplasmic Ca(2+), glycolysis and meat quality in halothane-sensitive and halothane-insensitive pigs.

Post-mortem assessment of porcine stress susceptibility and meat quality by measurements of mitochondrial calcium (content and rate of release), water-holding capacity, pH at 1h post mortem and colour on M. longissimus dorsi confirm the usefulness of the halothane test for detecting stress susceptibility. Good correlations were observed between halothane sensitivity and meat quality. Post-mortem samples of M. longissimus dorsi of halothane-sensitive pigs showed significantly higher levels of sarcoplasmic calcium than similar muscle from halothane-insensitive pigs. This strongly suggests that elevated sarcoplasmic calcium levels are linked to the formation of PSE meat.