Skip to content
  • Home
  • Walton's
    • Home
    • Seasonings
    • Casings
    • Packaging
    • Supplies
    • Equipment
    • Smoking/Grilling
    • Sales
    • Giveaways
  • About Us
  • Topics
    • Unread
    • Recent
    • Random
    • Popular Monthly
    • Popular All-Time
    • Unsolved
    • Solved
  • Events
  • FAQ
  • Conv Chart
    • Seasonings
    • Cures
    • Additives
Skins
  • Light
  • Brite
  • Cerulean
  • Cosmo
  • Flatly
  • Journal
  • Litera
  • Lumen
  • Lux
  • Materia
  • Minty
  • Morph
  • Pulse
  • Sandstone
  • Simplex
  • Sketchy
  • Spacelab
  • United
  • Yeti
  • Zephyr
  • Dark
  • Cyborg
  • Darkly
  • Quartz
  • Slate
  • Solar
  • Superhero
  • Vapor

  • Default (No Skin)
  • No Skin
  • Team Blue Skin
Collapse
Meatgistics - Walton's - Community
  1. Home
  2. Categories
  3. Community
  4. Meat Processing
  5. melanosis uberis in pork belly

melanosis uberis in pork belly

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Meat Processing
20 Posts 8 Posters 1.6k Views 5 Watching
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • processheadP Offline
    processheadP Offline
    processhead
    Regular Contributors Power User
    wrote on last edited by
    #5

    How deep do the patches penetrate into the surrounding normal tissue?

    Paul

    Ridley AcresR 1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • processheadP processhead

      How deep do the patches penetrate into the surrounding normal tissue?

      Ridley AcresR Offline
      Ridley AcresR Offline
      Ridley Acres
      Regular Contributors
      wrote on last edited by
      #6

      processhead I think some patches were about 1.5" deep into the belly.

      This breed is a smaller heritage breed that produces proportionally more lard than std. One of the hogs I was able to trim it out reasonably and have 5lb of belly per side. One side of one hog I did minimal trimming which included the melanosis but yielded 8.5# belly.

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • Ridley AcresR Ridley Acres

        We are finishing up the processing of our first 2 home slaughtered yearling American Guinea Hogs. We noticed some black spots in and around the mammary glands. (Note these are 1yr gilts and have never farrowed a litter) From what I can find online, this condition appears to be melanosis uberis. A study on Nero Siciliano pigs indicates: Tyrosinase activation could take place in genetically predisposed swine after acorns are eaten, and this event could increase the biosynthesis and the anomalous storage of melanin. My pigs are also black, and were fattened in a wooded area that has a dense population of shagbark hickory and some oak.

        I did not get good pics of mine, but these images are exactly what I have going on.

        0d629739-d643-4109-a826-bb539564b924-image.png

        710d068f-3f6d-4b2d-9581-e30bfa268776-image.png

        We pan fried a few chucks of trim that contained this can confirm taste and texture is what one would expect from a hunk of uncured unsalted pork belly. I fully intend to use the meat as is but has anyone else seen this before?

        DeepwoodsbutcherD Offline
        DeepwoodsbutcherD Offline
        Deepwoodsbutcher
        Power User Veteran Regular Contributors
        wrote on last edited by
        #7

        Ridley Acres Yes! I’ve seen this a lot. Both in commercially raised hogs and off of smaller farms. Your research has yielded the same information as mine. This is just a build up of melanin and is harmless. Commercially, I trimmed this off for appearance reasons. When making bacons for the farmer themselves, I usually left it on.

        Ridley AcresR 1 Reply Last reply
        1
        • DeepwoodsbutcherD Deepwoodsbutcher

          Ridley Acres Yes! I’ve seen this a lot. Both in commercially raised hogs and off of smaller farms. Your research has yielded the same information as mine. This is just a build up of melanin and is harmless. Commercially, I trimmed this off for appearance reasons. When making bacons for the farmer themselves, I usually left it on.

          Ridley AcresR Offline
          Ridley AcresR Offline
          Ridley Acres
          Regular Contributors
          wrote on last edited by
          #8

          Deepwoodsbutcher said in melanosis uberis in pork belly:

          Commercially, I trimmed this off for appearance reasons. When making bacons for the farmer themselves, I usually left it on.

          Thanks for the info. I left it on for my personal product, but trimmed on sides that may be going to friends/family due to the visual appearance.

          1 Reply Last reply
          1
          • samspadeS Offline
            samspadeS Offline
            samspade
            Team Orange Masterbuilt Sous Vide Team Blue Power User
            wrote on last edited by
            #9

            Never heard of that. Great info thank you

            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • Dr_PainD Offline
              Dr_PainD Offline
              Dr_Pain
              Sous Vide Dry Cured Sausage Traeger Team Blue
              wrote on last edited by
              #10

              I did not read all the fine details but my question is why would the melanine be in the fat (dermis layer) rather than the epidermis?

              DeepwoodsbutcherD 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • Dr_PainD Dr_Pain

                I did not read all the fine details but my question is why would the melanine be in the fat (dermis layer) rather than the epidermis?

                DeepwoodsbutcherD Offline
                DeepwoodsbutcherD Offline
                Deepwoodsbutcher
                Power User Veteran Regular Contributors
                wrote on last edited by Deepwoodsbutcher
                #11

                Dr_Pain these deposits are seen along the mammary glands. I’ve never seen it anywhere else on the animal. I’m not sure exactly why the melanin shows up there and not other places.

                Dr_PainD 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • DeepwoodsbutcherD Deepwoodsbutcher

                  Dr_Pain these deposits are seen along the mammary glands. I’ve never seen it anywhere else on the animal. I’m not sure exactly why the melanin shows up there and not other places.

                  Dr_PainD Offline
                  Dr_PainD Offline
                  Dr_Pain
                  Sous Vide Dry Cured Sausage Traeger Team Blue
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #12

                  Deepwoodsbutcher Now that makes a LOT more sense. Should have thought about it. Thank you ma’am!

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  1
                  • Ridley AcresR Offline
                    Ridley AcresR Offline
                    Ridley Acres
                    Regular Contributors
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #13

                    Deepwoodsbutcher yes since this was in the mammary area I would expect the male I plan to harvest in a few weeks would not have this. Or did you also see this on males? I would also be interested to know if this is found on the lighter colored breeds or if this being a black pigmented breed that is what makes it predisposed.

                    Dr_PainD DeepwoodsbutcherD 2 Replies Last reply
                    0
                    • Ridley AcresR Ridley Acres

                      Deepwoodsbutcher yes since this was in the mammary area I would expect the male I plan to harvest in a few weeks would not have this. Or did you also see this on males? I would also be interested to know if this is found on the lighter colored breeds or if this being a black pigmented breed that is what makes it predisposed.

                      Dr_PainD Offline
                      Dr_PainD Offline
                      Dr_Pain
                      Sous Vide Dry Cured Sausage Traeger Team Blue
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #14

                      Ridley Acres Hey man, just thought about something. If they have dark chocolate melanin around the nipples does that mean that the sow will produce chocolate milk ROFL!!!

                      Ridley AcresR 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • Dr_PainD Dr_Pain

                        Ridley Acres Hey man, just thought about something. If they have dark chocolate melanin around the nipples does that mean that the sow will produce chocolate milk ROFL!!!

                        Ridley AcresR Offline
                        Ridley AcresR Offline
                        Ridley Acres
                        Regular Contributors
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #15

                        Dr_Pain said in melanosis uberis in pork belly:

                        the sow will produce chocolate milk

                        It the whipped cream from when they run low and it starts to sputter?

                        Isn’t it interesting that a brown cow can eat green grass and produce white milk

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • Ridley AcresR Ridley Acres

                          Deepwoodsbutcher yes since this was in the mammary area I would expect the male I plan to harvest in a few weeks would not have this. Or did you also see this on males? I would also be interested to know if this is found on the lighter colored breeds or if this being a black pigmented breed that is what makes it predisposed.

                          DeepwoodsbutcherD Offline
                          DeepwoodsbutcherD Offline
                          Deepwoodsbutcher
                          Power User Veteran Regular Contributors
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #16

                          Ridley Acres it also appears in males since they also have mammary glands. I’ve seen it in dark and lighter breeds

                          Ridley AcresR cdavisC 2 Replies Last reply
                          0
                          • DeepwoodsbutcherD Deepwoodsbutcher

                            Ridley Acres it also appears in males since they also have mammary glands. I’ve seen it in dark and lighter breeds

                            Ridley AcresR Offline
                            Ridley AcresR Offline
                            Ridley Acres
                            Regular Contributors
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #17

                            Deepwoodsbutcher said in melanosis uberis in pork belly:

                            it also appears in males since they also have mammary glands

                            Thanks, I wasn’t sure if it was related to milk production or not.

                            Dr_PainD 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • Ridley AcresR Ridley Acres

                              Deepwoodsbutcher said in melanosis uberis in pork belly:

                              it also appears in males since they also have mammary glands

                              Thanks, I wasn’t sure if it was related to milk production or not.

                              Dr_PainD Offline
                              Dr_PainD Offline
                              Dr_Pain
                              Sous Vide Dry Cured Sausage Traeger Team Blue
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #18

                              Ridley Acres

                              abcfbbf5-58e9-4f05-92f6-faaa2e1df3f1-image.png

                              Ridley AcresR 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • Dr_PainD Dr_Pain

                                Ridley Acres

                                abcfbbf5-58e9-4f05-92f6-faaa2e1df3f1-image.png

                                Ridley AcresR Offline
                                Ridley AcresR Offline
                                Ridley Acres
                                Regular Contributors
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #19

                                Dr_Pain so, so wrong

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • DeepwoodsbutcherD Deepwoodsbutcher

                                  Ridley Acres it also appears in males since they also have mammary glands. I’ve seen it in dark and lighter breeds

                                  cdavisC Offline
                                  cdavisC Offline
                                  cdavis
                                  Team Blue Big Green Egg Masterbuilt Canning Kamado Joes Regular Contributors Power User
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #20

                                  Deepwoodsbutcher good info. Thanks

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  1

                                  Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.

                                  Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.

                                  With your input, this post could be even better 💗

                                  Register Login
                                  Reply
                                  • Reply as topic
                                  Log in to reply
                                  • Oldest to Newest
                                  • Newest to Oldest
                                  • Most Votes


                                  Sponsored By:

                                  Sponsored By Walton's Inc

                                  Sponsored By:

                                  Sponsored By Walton's
                                  Terms of Use - Privacy Policy - Copyright © 2023 Walton's Inc.
                                  Meatgistics
                                  X

                                  Register Now For Complete Access To Meatgistics!

                                  Sign In Register
                                  • Login

                                  • Don't have an account? Register

                                  • Login or register to search.
                                  • First post
                                    Last post
                                  0
                                  • Home
                                  • Walton's
                                    • Home
                                    • Seasonings
                                    • Casings
                                    • Packaging
                                    • Supplies
                                    • Equipment
                                    • Smoking/Grilling
                                    • Sales
                                    • Giveaways
                                  • About Us
                                  • Topics
                                    • Unread
                                    • Recent
                                    • Random
                                    • Popular Monthly
                                    • Popular All-Time
                                    • Unsolved
                                    • Solved
                                  • Events
                                  • FAQ
                                  • Conv Chart
                                    • Seasonings
                                    • Cures
                                    • Additives