Duke University Medical Centre scientists, working with colleagues in Norway, found that about 70% of people have two functional copies of a gene linked to an odour receptor that detects a compound in male mammals called androstenone, which is common in pork.
People with one or no functional copies of the gene can tolerate the scent of androstenone much better than those with two, the researchers said.
The Norwegian team had practical reasons for the study: It was concerned what might happen in Europe if a castration method for swine were outlawed.
Currently, female pork meat and castrated male pork meat are sold in Europe. The researchers were curious how consumers might respond to meat from non-castrated males.
The level of androstenone in noncastrated pigs ranges up to 6.4 ppm. In Norway the level of androstenone in immunocastrated (using hormones) pigs is from 0.1-0.2 ppm, and in surgically castrated pigs the rate approaches zero.
The findings raise the possibility that more consumers will dislike meat if castration is banned and more meat from non-castrated animals is sold, Matsunami said.
Matsunami said: “I was surprised at how cleanly this experiment showed who smelled what. The results showed that people with two copies of the functional variant of the gene for that odor receptor thought that the meat smelled worse with higher levels of androstenone added.”
Another practical solution for meat producers would be to find other compounds that are safe to ingest, but that might block the androstenone receptors to reduce that scent in meat.
Source: Duke University Medical Centre
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