Estimation of Genetic Parameters for Meat Quality and its Composite Traits

Meat quality score and its composite traits of the Hungarian Large White pigs were analyzed using the national station test database for the period of 1994-2005. Th e distribution of the meat quality score was substantially diff erent from the normal distribution and the average score of the population was close to the possible maximum. Based on the results the traits can hardly be improved by selection. Analysing separately the composite parameters of the meat quality score (pH1, pH2, colour, organoleptic evaluation) the highest heritability estimates were estimated for meat colour and pH2 (0.38±0.01; 0.35±0.01, respectively). Th e lowest heritability was estimated for the organoleptic evaluation (0.15±0.01), on the other hand this composite trait showed the highest genetic correlation with the meat quality score (0.72±0.01), which is unfavourable. Based on the results the meat quality traits should be restricted to meat colour and pH2. Key words pig, meat quality, genetic parameters, environmental factor