Characterization of Growth Performance, Pork Quality, and Body Composition in Mangalica Pigs.

European heritage breeds, such as the Blonde (B), Red (R), and Swallow-bellied (SB) Mangalica pig, display an extreme propensity to fatten and are reputed to produce superior quality pork. This suggests that Mangalica pork should command a higher price, and the Mangalica is a candidate breed to target niche markets within the United States. Our objectives were to test this hypothesis by (1) directly comparing growth performance and carcass merit of purebred Yorkshire (Y), B, R, and SB Mangalica pigs to identify the best breed for adoption, and (2) comparing indices of pork quality in purebred R, Y, and crossbred (R × Y) pigs to determine if crossbreeding represented a viable alternative to the adoption of purebred Mangalica. Daily feed intake, average daily gain (ADG), and feed efficiency were highest in Y and lowest in SB pigs with B and R ranked intermediately ( p < 0.001). Backfat thickness was greatest in B and lowest in Y with R and SB ranked intermediately ( p < 0.001). Marbling score was greatest in R pigs and lowest in Y pigs with B and SB ranked intermediately ( p < 0.01). In contrast, loin eye area (LEA) was greatest in Y pigs compared to B, R, and SB ( p < 0.001). Indices of meat quality were then compared in R, R × Y, and Y pigs. Backfat thickness and marbling scores were greater in R than R × Y and Y pigs ( p < 0.001) while LEA was greater in Y than R × Y and R pigs ( p < 0.001). Loin and ham ultimate pH, color, and firmness scores were significantly greater in R than R × Y or Y pigs ( p < 0.05). Meanwhile, cook loss was significantly less in R than Y pigs ( p < 0.007) while Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBS) was not different in chops between groups ( p < 0.11). These data indicate that though Mangalica exhibit poorer growth performance, Mangalica pork exhibits superior pork quality attributes, suggesting that higher price points for Mangalica pork in niche markets are justified.