Introduction
Shifting generational preferences and evolving consumer habits have contributed to a sustained decline in fresh pork purchases at retail. From 2020 to 2024, US per capita pork disappearance fell by 3.4%, while beef and chicken increased by 1.6% and 5.4% (National Agriculture Statistics Service, 2024). This trend is expected to continue as Baby Boomers, the top pork purchasers (13.8 kg in 2022), age out of the primary shopper demographic. In comparison, Millennials, now driving market demand (210 Analytics, 2025), purchased only 6.3 kg of fresh pork in 2022 (National Pork Board, 2024). As younger generations become dominant in the marketplace, the pork industry must reevaluate product offerings to align with modern preferences.
Meanwhile, US pork carcass weights have increased 7% from 82 kg to 97 kg from 1996 to 2022 (National Agriculture Statistics Service, 2024), presenting new challenges (Gonçalves et al., 2017) and opportunities such as heavier primals and subprimals (Metz et al., 2024). A lesser considered opportunity of heavier carcass primals is the potential to add value through novel fresh cuts derived from alternative carcass fabrication methods. Although heavier carcasses support novel chop development, increased primal weights alone do not justify it. Metz et al. (2024) reported serratus ventralis (SV) and triceps brachii (TB) muscles were similar in weight to boneless sirloins, but viable chop counts remain undefined. Adequate appearance and palatability, key to purchasing decisions, are essential to justify merchandizing these cuts. Currently, these muscles are used in fresh roasts or further processed as lean trim or restructured hams.
Heavier shoulder and ham primals could produce new chops from the SV, TB, and semimembranosus (SM) muscles, with similar or potentially superior meat quality traits compared with traditional loin chops. Increased intramuscular fat and proportion of oxidative muscle fibers found in shoulder muscles may positively contribute to color and marbling, which strongly influence purchase intent (Miller, 2020). The SV, TB, and SM muscles also have reported greater ultimate pH values than traditional loin chops (Bohrer et al., 2024). Today, little is known about the eating quality of shoulder and ham muscles when prepared individually as chops and cooked to the revised US Department of Agriculture (USDA) fresh pork recommended final internal cooking temperature of 63°C. This study evaluated size, quality, and sensory traits of novel chops from heavy (116–126 kg) and very heavy (134–144 kg) carcasses and compared these to traditional boneless loin chops.
Materials and Methods
All animal care and use procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at the University of Illinois (Protocol # 23045).
Pig background
Forty-eight pigs from 3 commercial sirelines were raised in pens of 4 at the University of Illinois Swine Research Center (Champaign, IL) and marketed over a 10-wk period. Diets contained no dried distiller grains and were formulated to meet or exceed nutrient requirements for growing-finishing pigs (NRC, 2012). All pigs were between 24 wk and 29 wk of age at the time of slaughter. The full experimental design used in this study is described in detail by Metz et al. (2024).
Slaughter and carcass fabrication
Pigs were slaughtered at the University of Illinois Meat Science Laboratory (Urbana, IL) under the supervision of the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA, using head-to-heart electrical stunning. Carcasses (n = 85) were divided into 3 categories based on hot-carcass weight, including average (99–109 kg; n = 30), heavy (116–126 kg; n = 30), and very heavy (134–144 kg; n = 25). Carcass weight categories were defined to target commercially relevant distributions, with the average category representative of the top end of current industry average (National Agriculture Statistics Service, 2025). Equal representation of sirelines and sex was targeted at each weight class (Metz et al., 2024). Carcasses were chilled at 4°C for 20 h prior to fabrication.
At 1 d postmortem, the right side was fabricated into primal and subprimal cuts using a 4th/5th rib separation (Metz et al., 2024). An alternative carcass fabrication method in which the shoulder was separated between the 4th and 5th rib, opposed to the traditional 2nd and 3rd rib break, was used to produce SV and TB muscles from the shoulder, SM muscles from the ham primal, and the LD from loin primals. Alternative carcass fabrication methods are detailed in greater detail in Metz et al. (2024).
Chop quality evaluation
The entire SV, TB, SM, and LD were collected from sides and cut into 2.54-cm chops. After cutting, chops were allowed to oxygenate for 20 min before color evaluation. Instrumental Commission Internationale de l’Éclairage L*, a*, and b* color values were measured using a Minolta CR-400 Chroma meter (Konica Minolta, Osaka, Japan) with a 2° observer, an 8-mm closed aperture, and D65 illuminant. Loin ultimate pH was measured with a Hanna Foodcare Portable pH meter calibrated to pH 4 and 7 buffers at 4°C with a Hanna electrode (Hanna 4198163 pH 80 meter, −2.0−20.0 pH/±2000.0 mV; Hanna FC2323 meat specific electrode; Hanna Instruments Woonsocket, RI). Color and pH measurements were recorded on the exposed loin chop face (approximately the 10th rib location), the 2nd cut chop face for the TB and 3rd cut chop face for the SV and SM muscles (targeting the approximate center of each muscle). Chops were then individually vacuum packaged and aged for 14 d at 4°C before freezing at −20°C until further analysis.
Cook loss and Warner-Bratzler shear force
Chops were thawed at approximately 4°C for 24 h before cooking. Chops were cooked on Farberware open-hearth grills (model 455N; Walter Kidde, Bronx, NY) to an internal temperature of 63°C using the procedure described in Gaffield et al. (2022). Chops were then removed and cooled to approximately 25°C. Chops were weighed before and after cooking to measure cook loss percentage.
A preliminary set of each muscle was used to determine muscle fiber direction prior to evaluation of Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF). Four 1.25-cm cores were collected, avoiding connective tissue, and sheared perpendicular to the muscle fiber direction using the Texture Analyzer TA.HD Plus (Texture Technologies Corp., Scarsdale, 134 NY/Stable Microsystems, Goldalming, UK) with a load cell capacity of 100 kg and a blade speed of 3.33 mm/s. The average of the 4 cores was recorded as the WBSF for the sample.
Trained sensory panels
Sensory analysis was conducted as previously described by Gaffield et al. (2022). Panelists were trained per American Meat Science Association (2016) guidelines and pork flavor standards described by Chu et al. (2015). Each panel included SV, TB, and SM chops from both heavy and very heavy categories and LD chops from the average weight category. Two panels were held daily, with 30 min between panels. Chops were scored for tenderness, juiciness, and pork flavor, each on a 15-cm line scale anchored at 7.5 cm, where 0 represented extremely tough, extremely dry, or no flavor and 15 represented extremely tender, extremely juicy, and very intense flavor.
Statistical analysis
Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Inst. In., Cary, NC). Chop weight, instrumental color, WBSF, pH, and sensory traits were analyzed as a 1-way analysis of variance with treatment (muscle within carcass weight category) as fixed effects. Random effects included sireline, sex, and panel. Least-squares means were compared using Tukey’s adjustment. Differences were considered significant at a P value less than or equal to .05.
Results
Weights of heavy and very heavy SV chops were similar to LD chops (P = .99; Table 1). Also, from the shoulder, heavy TB chops were similar in weight to LD chops (P = .83). However, very heavy TB chops weighed more than LD chops (222.9 g vs. 182.8 g; P = .02). From the ham, both heavy and very heavy SM chops were substantially larger (58.2% and 76.98% larger, respectively) than the LD chops (P < .001).
Quality and sensory traits of chops from loins of average pigs, triceps brachii, serratus ventralis, and semimembranosus of heavy and very heavy pigs
| Item | Carcass Weight Categories1 | SEM2 | P Value | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | Heavy | Very Heavy | |||||||
| Loin | SV | TB | SM | SV | TB | SM | |||
| Cut quality | |||||||||
| Muscles, n | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 25 | 25 | ||
| Ultimate pH | 5.52b | 5.86a | 5.82a | 5.62b | 5.86a | 5.91a | 5.65b | 0.06 | <.01 |
| Lightness, L*3 | 48.70b | 42.60c | 39.84d | 51.9a | 42.31cd | 40.02cd | 53.35a | 0.90 | <.01 |
| Redness, a*4 | 5.90ab | 6.94a | 5.36bc | 3.95c | 6.50ab | 5.07bc | 4.87bc | 0.38 | <.01 |
| Yellowness, b*5 | 10.60b | 16.45a | 15.35a | 10.34b | 16.29a | 15.16a | 10.68b | 0.58 | <.01 |
| Sensory evaluation | |||||||||
| Chops, n | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | ||
| Chop wt, g | 182.78c | 181.89c | 198.77bc | 289.14a | 184.84c | 222.92b | 323.49a | 8.69 | <.01 |
| WBSF, kg | 3.06ab | 3.17ab | 3.17ab | 3.44a | 2.75b | 2.99ab | 3.42a | 0.15 | .01 |
| Cook loss, % | 19.76 | 19.81 | 21.44 | 18.31 | 20.57 | 22.57 | 18.10 | 1.41 | .15 |
| Tenderness6 | 7.35c | 7.94bc | 8.41ab | 7.48c | 8.46ab | 8.79a | 7.56c | 0.24 | <.01 |
| Juiciness6 | 7.45b | 8.61a | 8.23ab | 8.23ab | 8.73a | 8.60a | 8.40a | 0.21 | <.01 |
| Flavor6 | 1.92c | 3.33a | 3.12a | 2.22bc | 3.16a | 3.12a | 2.34b | 0.09 | <.01 |
HCW, hot-carcass weight; SEM, standard error or mean; SM, semimembranosus; SV, serratus ventralis; TB, triceps brachii; WBSF, Warner-Bratzler shear force.
Carcasses were placed into weight categories based on HCW: average (99–109 kg), heavy (116–126 kg), and very heavy (134–144 kg).
Greatest SEM occurring among treatments was reported.
L* measures darkness (0) to lightness (100; greater L* indicates a lighter color).
a* measures redness (greater a* indicates a redder color).
b* measures yellowness (greater b* indicates a more yellow color).
Chops were scored for tenderness, juiciness, and pork flavor each on a 15-cm semistructured line scale anchored at 7.5 cm, where 0 = extremely tough, extremely dry, or no flavor and 15 = extremely tender, extremely juicy, and very intense flavor.
Means within a row lacking common superscripts differ (P ≤ .05).
The ultimate pH of SM chops was similar to that of LD chops (5.62 vs. 5.52; P = .55). However, both shoulder muscle chops (SV and TB) had increased pH compared with LD chops (P < .001). Accordingly, both SV and TB chops were darker in color (L*; P < .001) than LD chops, whereas SM chops were lighter (P = .01) in color. Despite differences in instrumental lightness, redness (a*) of shoulder muscle chops (SV and TB) was similar to LD chops (P = .32). Heavy SM chops were less red than LD chops (P = .002); however, redness was not different between very heavy SM chops and LD chops (P = .41). Both shoulder chops (SV and TB) were more yellow (b*) in color than LD chops (P < .001), but no differences in yellowness between SM and LD chops were observed (P = .99).
There were no differences in instrumental tenderness (WBSF) between the novel chops and LD (P = .50). From a sensory tenderness standpoint, both heavy and very heavy TB chops were more tender than LD chops (P ≤ .01). While no differences in sensory tenderness were observed between heavy SV and LD chops, very heavy SV chops were more tender than LD chops (P = .002). Ham (SM) chops from both heavy and very heavy pigs were similar in tenderness to LD chops (P = .23). Sensory juiciness was rated as greater in shoulder SV chops from both heavy and very heavy pigs than LD chops (P ≥ .01). Sensory juiciness ratings were similar between shoulder TB or ham SM chops from heavy pigs compared with LD chops (P = .16). However, from very heavy pigs, shoulder TB and ham SM chops were rated as juicier than LD chops (P = .04).
Shoulder chops (both SV and TB), regardless of carcass weight category, were substantially more flavorful than LD chops (P < .001). Although ham chops (SM) were less flavorful than either shoulder chop, very heavy SM chops were still more flavorful than LD chops (P = .02). However, heavy SM chops had the same flavor intensity as LD chops (P = .20).
Discussion
Unlike beef, most US pork is consumed as processed products rather than fresh cuts (Datlow et al., 2023), which represent share of the total meat market. For example, in January of 2025, pork accounted for 13% of the market share at the consumer level and 5% at the retail level (Tonsor, 2025). In contrast, ground beef accounted for 25% of the retail market share and 26% of the food service market share, and chicken breast accounted for 26% and 14% of the retail and food service market shares (Tonsor, 2025). A recent Pork Checkoff report indicated Millennials and Gen-Z shoppers ranked fresh pork lower in value, taste, and nutrition than other proteins (National Pork Board, 2025). To combat this decline in the desirability of fresh pork, novel cuts from the shoulder or ham might be considered in addition to the traditional loin chop.
In the present study, novel chops from heavy and very heavy carcasses were compared only to loin chops from average market weight carcasses. This approach prioritized the primary objective to assess the potential of novel chops relative to the current industry fresh pork standard: the loin chop from pigs at current market weights. Detailed comparisons of loin chops across heavier carcass weights have been previously reported by Price et al. (2019) and Rice et al. (2019).
Previously, it was not practical to create fresh pork chops from muscles in the shoulder or ham, as the yield of these subprimals was too low. However, as carcass weight increases, subprimal weights from these heavier weight carcasses could indicate that shoulder and ham muscles may be large enough to serve as center-of-the-plate alternatives to the loin chop (Metz et al., 2024). For these novel cuts to represent a viable alternative to loin chops, they must not just be of adequate size but also of adequate or superior quality to loin chops.
In terms of physical appearance, pork shoulder chops (from both the SV and TB muscles) were of similar size to loin chops (Figure 1). From a fabrication standpoint, the SV and TB muscles might yield three to five 2.54-cm chops per muscle (6–10 chops per carcass) at heavier weights. The SM yielded approximately 4 chops per muscle (8 per carcass). Although fewer than the 13 to 20 chops from loins, they may add value to the fresh pork retail case. Because both novel shoulder chops (SV and TB) are similar in portion size to loin chops, as evidenced by similar chop weights, they may be less likely to be discriminated against by consumers due to size than the ham chop (SM) also evaluated. The SV and SM chops appeared very different in shape relative to the LD chop. The SM chop was irregularly shaped, tapering near the femur. The SV was more symmetrical than the SM, appearing almost like a rectangle, but possessed a ribeye tail-like end. In contrast, the TB appeared more symmetrical in shape and, therefore, more like the LD. However, unlike the LD, the TB contained a strip of connective tissue between the 2. It is possible that deviations in shape and the presence of connective tissue in some novel chops may negatively affect consumers’ visual expectations of fresh cuts. However, further research is needed to explore the impact of chop size and shape on consumer acceptability.
Representative images of loin chops from average carcasses (99–109 kg) serratus ventralis and triceps brachii and semimembranosus chops from heavy (116–126 kg) and very heavy carcasses (134–144 kg)
SM, semimembranosus; SV, serratus ventralis; TB, triceps brachii.
Appearance, particularly color, strongly influences purchasing decisions (Brewer and McKeith, 1999). US consumers tend to prefer darker, pink colored pork (Altmann et al., 2023), suggesting shoulder chops may be more appealing than loin chops. However, SM chops were lighter and less red than LD chops, limiting their retail advantage. Although pale pork is less preferred (Brewer and McKeith, 1999), preference vary by region and demographic. Differences observed in muscle color may be associated with muscle fiber type proportion or pH. While not evaluated in the present study, Armstrong et al. (1987) observed that deep extensor muscles were composed of slower, oxidative muscle fibers while more superficial muscles had increased fast, glycolytic muscle fibers. Also, TB and SV chops had increased ultimate pH than LD consistent with Bohrer et al. (2024), though SM pH differences were not observed in the current study. Research investigating pH effects on pork loin quality are mixed. While increased pH may enhance color and water holding capacity (Miller, 2020), effects on palatability below a pH of 5.95 are often negligible when cooked at a medium-rare degree of doneness (Richardson et al., 2018). Since no novel chop possessed a pH over 5.9, palatability differences observed may stem from other traits.
Additionally, novel chops were more palatable compared with the traditional LD chop. Recent studies suggest flavor may account for 49.4% of beef palatability (O’Quinn et al., 2018), and, as tenderness variation narrows, flavor emerges as the most critical driver of palatability (Miller, 2020). While pork flavor’s influence on consumer preference is less clear, the increased flavor intensity of novel chops is promising. SV chops, which were also juicier and more tender, demonstrated stronger flavor than LD chops, suggesting an increased potential for sensory success. Although TB and SM also outperformed LD, differences were less notable than SV.
Conclusion
As pigs are finished at heavier weights, producing novel chops from the shoulder and ham may offer alternative center-of-the-plate options for the pork industry. Chops from the SV, TB, and SM were similar in size, weight, tenderness, and visual quality to loin chops but with greater flavor intensity. Evaluating the economic feasibility of additional fabrication and consumer acceptability, both visual and palatability, represents a logical next step in determining their value to the fresh pork retail case.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding the content of this manuscript.
Author Contributions
Khalil Jallaq conducted the study, collected data, analyzed data, and wrote the draft manuscript; Kaitlin Guthrie collected data, and reviewed the manuscript; Bailey Harsh conceived the study, secured funding, edited the manuscript, and provided supervision.
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