Effects of sous-vide and searing treatments on cooked meat and organoleptic quality attributes in pork loins derived from PSE and normal conditions

This study investigated the effects of sous-vide (SV) alone and in combination with searing (SVS) on meat quality traits, visual attributes, and sensory characteristics of porcine longissimus dorsi muscles from reddish-pink, firm, and non-exudative (RFN) and pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) conditions. PSE loins showed a lighter surface color and lower water-holding capacity compared to RFN loins ( p  < 0.001). The PSE-SV group exhibited lower treatment loss and Warner-Bratzler shear force values compared to the PSE-Pan group, and PSE-SVS samples did not differ from RFN-SV or RFN-SVS samples ( p  < 0.001). For visual attributes, the Pan- and SVS-treated groups received higher color acceptability scores than the SV-treated group ( p  < 0.001) due to surface browning formed by Maillard reactions. SVS treatment on PSE and RFN loins showed comparable color acceptability scores ( p  > 0.05). Overall visual acceptability was higher in the PSE-SVS group compared to the RFN-SV group ( p  < 0.001). Notably, PSE-SV loins were perceived as more tender and juicier than RFN-Pan and RFN-SVS loins ( p  < 0.001). Flavor intensity was higher in Pan- and SVS-treated samples than in SV-treated samples in both quality classes ( p  < 0.05). PSE-SV loins achieved higher overall acceptability scores than RFN-Pan and RFN-SVS loins ( p  < 0.01), and SVS applied to RFN or PSE exhibited comparable scores ( p  > 0.05). Overall, the findings suggest that SV as well as SVS can effectively enhance the overall quality and utilization of low-grade PSE pork in the context of value-added meat products.