The Problem
Boar taint is an unpleasant smell that can arise during the heating of pork, particularly in meat of adult male pigs, caused by the concentration and combination of endogenous substances in the body fat. Boar taint rarely occurs in female pigs or castrated male pigs, and meat products that are not heated will also not show boar taint.
Research has shown that it is the combination and concentration of three endogenous substances that can cause boar taint – Androstenone. Skatole and Indole.
30% of consumers are not sensitive to androstenone with significant differences between consumers in different countries. To add to the complexity of the boar taint issue, consumer taste can also vary widely due to cultural aspects.
Boar taint remains a serious palatability issue for consumers of pork
OTHer SOLUTIONS
The most commonly used method to prevent boar taint is the physical castration of male piglets, which has major animal welfare issues as well as loss of production cost efficiencies. This practise is now illegal in some countries and being phased out in many others and not a viable or sustainable long-term solution.
There are alternatives available which have had varying degrees of success, including:
Slaughtering at a younger age
Breeding management
Immunocastration
Management measures on the pig farm
Sexing of sperm cells
Detection in the slaughter line.
WHY A HERBAL SOLUTION
Opinions on possible alternatives and different approaches still vary widely throughout the world’s pork production.
Although immunocastration has proven to be a successful method of reducing boar taint and improving meat quality, consumer and retailer support for its continued use is limited, and it too has a limited lifespan.
To date, the use of naturally occurring plant compounds to improve production efficiencies and welfare with the pig industry have received little attention. If successful, such strategies are more likely to satisfy increasingly stringent retail and consumer demands for pig products.
Benefits
There is growing evidence in companion animal species and humans, that naturally occurring plant compounds (or herbal remedies) reduce testosterone production, thus lowering libido and aggression, and if effective in pigs would result in:
improved welfare
reduced culling for structural damage
likely improved growth rates and meat palatability.