[Christmas article: Point-of-care test of optimal meat structure in Danish Pork Roasts - a prospective observational study].

Introduction: Pork Roast is an important part of the Danish holidays. The precise cooking of the pork roast is a controversial debate, which has been going on for decades. Newer techniques such as sous vide have been gaining popularity, but the optimal pork roast is yet to be determined. This study sought to evaluate the optimal meat structure for Christmas pork roast.

Methods: Three pork roasts were analyzed using an ultrasound scanner regarding fluid content. Then the pork roasts were suis vided for 6 hours at 60 degrees Celsius and oven-roasted for 34 minutes. An unbiased tasting panel tested the pork roasts and rated their juiciness.

Results: The study was able to measure fluid content in the pork roasts. The two pork roasts (2 and 3) with the lowest fluid content were preferred by a panel of 40 taste testers. The pork roast with the highest fluid content also had the highest drop in weight during cooking.

Discussion: Lower fluid content correlated with higher preference. Ultrasound was effective in estimating fluid content, impacting perceived juiciness and quality. The pork roast with more fluid was less juicy and preferred, aligning with studies linking higher fat to juiciness. The study suggests selecting pork roasts with less fluid using ultrasound is viable for finding the best quality roast.

Conclusion: Ultrasound testing is a viable point-of-care modality in selecting the most sensory-pleasing pork roast. Future studies should identify either a cut-off value or investigate if the fluid content to juiciness correlation is linear.

Funding: none.

Trial registration: none.