This report focuses on pork quality in a free range pork production system. The positive relationship found between pH and eating quality in earlier research is supported by this study. An increase in the pH level was positively associated with a more desirable value for each of the eating quality variables: flavor, juiciness, tenderness, and texture. The implication here is that production strategies which improve pH will lead to an increase in the quality for each of the measured eating quality characteristics.

This study found further that although pH is a good predictor of quality, measuring two other key variables of Instron (Star probe) and marbling can improve the prediction of eating quality characteristics.