A comprehensive approach to determining the nutritional and sensory properties of today's cooked pork

The effects of carcass fat, trim level, cooking method, and final internal temperature on the composition, nutrient content and retention of cooked pork were determined. Cooking method (broiling, braising or frying) and final internal temperature (70$\sp\circ$C or 80$\sp\circ$C) significantly affected the composition and cooking parameters of center loin chops whereas carcass fatness (low or high) and trim level (0.0 cm or 0.6 cm) did not. Fat retention was not affected by trim level as previously reported in the literature. Cooking method significantly affected all cooking parameters, vitamin retentions, composition, and fat retention due to fat for frying. Except for fat retention, composition and cooking parameters were significantly affected by final internal temperature.A new sensory technique called free-choice profiling was developed for describing attributes of foods, was adopted for this study. Its applications are discussed. Procrustes analysis is described in detail as a means of analyzing data obtained from descriptive analysis methods. An algorithm describing mathematical expressions that define the analysis was included.A lexicon for describing the flavor and texture of center loin and tenderloin pork roasts was developed. Center loin roasts were characterized by the attributes "cooked fatty," "chicken breast," "wet paper," "sour," "astringent," "hard," "springy," "chewy," "dense," "toothpacking," and "residual particles." Tenderloin roasts were characterized by the attributes "bloody," "musky," "organlike," "salty," "sweet," "bitter," "metallic," "cohesive," "uniform," "juicy," and "mouthcoating." Treatments (warmed-over flavor, cold-shortening, and aging) affected the sensory properties of pork as determined by instrumental, conventional profiling, and free-choice profiling.Generalized Procrustes analysis was used to compare the results from the evaluations of the flavor and texture of pork by conventional and free-choice descriptive analysis panels. Free-choice profiling was an efficient and effective method of determining the sensory qualities of pork in that panel members from both panel types were able to differentiate between the treatments. Conventional profile panels generated unique attributes (terms) that characterized each treatment by muscle type whereas the free-choice panelists described relative differences between samples instead of specific qualities of each.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio