The effect of thermal processing of pork for institutional purposes

Pork meat is an important source of protein for humans. With the exception of vitamin C, it contains almost all the vitamins (in particular vitamin B6, vitamin B12, riboflavin and niacin) or their pro-vitamins, and is also a valuable source of minerals (in particular phosphorus, potassium and zinc) (Murphy et al. 2011). Consumption of pork in Slovakia is higher than the consumption of any other kind of meat. Statistical data show that pork consumption in Slovakia in 2012 was 30kg per year per capita. In the Czech Republic, pork consumption in the same period, i.e. in 2012, was 41.3kg per year per capita. The present extensive work provides specialists and research workers data on the chemical composition of thermally-processed pork that has been lacking to date. In the present study, a total of 39 samples (18 samples of pork leg, 9 samples of pork shoulder and 12 samples of pork side) were analysed. The monitored parameters included meat yield following various types of thermal processing (boiling, stewing, roasting and frying). The content of dry matter, protein, total lipids and ash in individual samples and in broth before and after thermal processing was analysed.