COMPOSITION AND SENSORY ATTRIBUTES OF BACON AS INFLUENCED BY A BETA‐AGONIST‐674,239 TREATMENT AND SEX1

Uncooked and cooked bacon from control and beta-agonist L-674,239 fed female (gilt) and male castrate (barrow) pigs were evaluated by chemical and sensory analyses. No differences were observed in processing parameters or cook yields of bacon due to beta-agonist treatment or sex of animal. Uncooked bacon from beta-agonist fed pigs compared to controls, and from gilts compared to barrows, contained more protein, less fat and was scored higher for lean:fat ratio. The cooked bacon from gilts had more visual lean, greater perceived crispness and coated the mouth less than the bacon from barrows. Cholesterol in cooked bacon did not differ due to beta-agonist treatment but was higher in gilts than in barrows.