Genetic variation in pig meat composition and quality offers the possibility of manipulating both between and within line composition in order to Improve the end product. The extent of this variation has been evaluated on batches of PIC pigs sent to the Meat and Livestock Commission for carcass assessment and full side dissection. In the last two years, hind loin samples from these carcasses have gone to the Institute of Food Research, Bristol for taste panel assessment, chemical analysis, and measurements of fat firmness and androstenone concentration.

289 entire males of eight pure lines (20-55 per line) were slaughtered at 90-100 kg liveweight following performance test on ad libitum feeding from 33 kg. The ration contained 13.8 MJ DE, 200g crude protein and 10g lysine per kg. Standard MLC dissection procedures were followed. At IFR, the SOXHLET method was used to determine the concentrations of extractable fat, moisture, total nitrogen and ash In the m. longissimus.