Boar odor
Under boar taint is meant the gender smell of male pigs aged five months, the consumer, especially in the heating of the Eberfleisches is perceived as odors of varying intensity and unpleasant.
Development of boar taint
| Structural formulas of the compounds responsible for boar odor |
|---|
 Androstenone - a sexual attractant with a sweat-like odor |
 Skatole - a substance that smells like feces |
When sexual maturity is reached, the two main components for the boar meat odor, androstenone (a metabolite of testosterone ) and skatole , are increasingly produced in the testicular tissue and stored in the fatty tissue and excreted with the boar's saliva. Androstenone affects the boar as a sexual attractant and triggers the intoxication of the sow out. The increased release of testosterone is in turn triggered by the superordinate messenger substances in the hypothalamus and in the pituitary gland. During puberty, the hypothalamus increases the production and release of the messenger substance GnRH ; GnRH stimulates the production of LH in the pituitary gland . Finally, LH stimulates the production of testosterone and its metabolite androstenone in the testes. During castration there is an irreversible suppression of all effects of testosterone.
Skatole is created by the bacterial breakdown of protein components in the intestine. Androstenone increases the effect of the skatole. High levels of androstenone lead to high levels of skatole.
meaning
When the meat of sexually mature boars is heated, boar odor can occur, which is perceived as unpleasant by most consumers.
About 30% of the test persons describe the odor of androstenone as unpleasant and urine-like. Since only some of the people can smell androstenone, the importance of skatole as an off- flavor in meat is greater. A single boar provides fresh meat for around 100 households. An odorous boar can therefore create an extremely unpleasant experience for many people when it is consumed. According to food law, meat is to be declared unfit for human consumption if it has a pronounced sexual odor.
Detection of boar odor in the slaughterhouse
Laboratory analysis and odor perception of test persons do not correlate, the perception of boar odor by humans is individually different. Sensitive people describe the odor of androstenone as being sweaty to urine-like. Almost all test persons characterize the odor of skatole as unpleasant and fecal-like. The percentage of odor-noticeable animals varies greatly depending on the type of examination and the examiner. In slaughterhouses, the meat inspector's nose is the safest way to identify and sort out odorous pork.
Effective methods of preventing boar odor
Piglet castration, which is painful for the animal, is currently the most frequently used method in Germany. Castrated boars are called Borg . Originally, the amended Animal Welfare Act was supposed to prohibit piglet castration without anesthesia and painkillers from January 1, 2019, but the deadline was extended to 2021 due to a lack of practicable procedures. According to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture , three options are then allowed:
- Castration in the first week of life with anesthesia and pain relief
- Boar fattening (without vaccination)
- Vaccination against boar odor
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Wolfgang Legrum: Fragrances, between stench and fragrance - occurrence, properties and use of fragrances and their mixtures . 2nd revised and expanded edition. Springer Spectrum, 2015, ISBN 978-3-658-07309-1 , pp. 63-64 .
- ^ C. Bader-Mielke: 15 years vaccination against boar odor ; Review for meat hygiene and food monitoring 1/2013
- ↑ U. Weiler, R. Wesoly: Physiological aspects of androstenone and skatole formation in boars ; Züchtungskunde, 84, (5) pp. 365–393, 2012
- ↑ VO (EG) No. 854/2004; Appendix I, Section II, Chap. V, No. 1 p
- ↑ Daniel Mörlein: All just the lottery? Detection of boar odor on the slaughter line is highly uncertain. In: Review Article. Animal-Health-online, July 8, 2014, accessed June 4, 2016 .
- ↑ Kim-Laura Conrad, Simone Schiller: Special sensors in meat. DLG screenings odor and taste deviations in boar meat. In: Expert knowledge of sensor technology. DLG eV, Food Industry Center Frankfurt, January 2014, accessed on June 4, 2016 .
- ↑ Annette Skipiol: Sniff test at the slaughterhouse. (No longer available online.) In: Aufsatz. Agrar heute.Land und Forst, November 10, 2011, archived from the original on June 4, 2016 ; accessed on June 4, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Jens Büttner: Piglet castration - Groko's ban extended to 2021 from 2019. Rheinische Post, 2018, accessed on November 15, 2019 .
- ↑ C. Jäger et al, 2012: Statement by the State Commissioner for Animal Welfare in Baden-Württemberg. Baden-Württemberg Ministry for Rural Areas and Consumer Protection, 2012, accessed on December 11, 2012 (German).
- ↑ Experiences with the slaughter of animals vaccinated against boar odor : Dr Tatjana Sattler. In: Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture. University of Leipzig, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, June 28, 2013, accessed on June 4, 2016 .
