Abstract: In order to study the effect of superchilling storage on the sensory quality and postmortem lactic acid metabolism in pork, pork tenderloin was stored at superchilling (?1 ℃) or chilling (4 ℃) temperature immediately after slaughter. At 0.5, 2, 6, 12, 24, 72, 120 and 168 h, quality indicators including drip loss, color and pH, as well as the activities of major enzymes involved in glycolysis and related metabolic pathways were determined. The results showed that superchilling storage effectively reduced the quality deterioration of pork and slowed down the rate of glycolysis and lactic acid metabolism. During 0.5–12 h postmortem, some of the nine enzymes tested including hexokinase, phosphofructokinase and lactate dehydrogenase were significantly inhibited (P < 0.05). From the perspective of post-mortem metabolism, superchilling temperature can effectively inhibit the activity of glycolytic enzymes, delay the accumulation of lactic acid and the reduction in meat pH, and improve the quality deterioration of pork during storage.

Key words: pork; glycolysis; enzyme activity; quality