138:, which has been used in Australia and New Zealand since 1998, is a solution that uses the pig's immune system to control boar taint. The use of the vaccine is claimed to be as simple and reliable as physical castration in controlling boar taint. It can be administered by trained farm personnel and enables the production of pork meat that is claimed to be of high quality and to be safe for consumers to eat.
65:
152:
Each pig must be immunised twice to successfully control boar taint. The timing of the first dose is relatively flexible, but there must be a minimum of four weeks between the two doses, with the second taking place four to six weeks before slaughter. After the second dose, the boar's testicles stop
156:
The vaccine is claimed to offer an animal-friendly and a more environmentally sustainable solution to boar taint, and to allow getting benefits of natural boar growth while preserving eating quality. However concerns about the effect of the drugs on animal and consumer health have been expressed.
122:
As castration has received criticism in recent years, for welfare reasons, some producers and producer associations are seeking alternative methods to control boar taint. Some producers are breeding out the taint and avoiding the few breeds of pigs that are high in taint. Yorkshire, Hampshire and
148:
By stimulating production of antibodies specific to GnRH, the vaccine stops the chain of events that lead to the release of testosterone and other steroids from the testes, including androstenone, one of the two causes of boar taint. The other major taint-causing compound, skatole, is also
46:
and skatole – in the fat of male pigs. Androstenone (a male pheromone) is produced in the testes as male pigs reach puberty and gives the meat a urine or sweat flavour, while skatole (a byproduct of intestinal bacteria, or bacterial metabolite of the amino acid
51:) is produced in both male and female pigs and gives the meat a 'fecal' flavour. However, levels are much higher in intact boars, because testicular steroids inhibit its breakdown by the liver. As a result, skatole accumulates in the fat of male pigs as they mature.
291:
Dunshea, F R; Colantoni, C; Howard, K; McCauley, I; Jackson, P; Long, K A; Lopaticki, S; Nugent, E A; Simons, J A; Walker, J; Hennessy, D P (2001). "Vaccination of boars with a GnRH vaccine (Improvac) eliminates boar taint and increases growth performance".
118:
for artificial insemination so as to produce mostly female offspring. This method has been successfully used in cattle breeding, but the technique is still under research and no economical or practical solution yet exists in pig production.
181:
Bonneau, M.; Le Denmat, M.; Vaudelet, J.C.; Veloso Nunes, J.R.; Mortensen, A.B.; Mortensen, H.P. (August 1992). "Contributions of fat androstenone and skatole to boar taint: I. Sensory attributes of fat and pork meat".
34:, but this is linked with fecal contamination of the skin. Studies show that about 75% of consumers are sensitive to boar taint, leading pork producers to control this in order to maximize profits.
164:
suppression in horses. The vaccine would also work to temporarily prevent sexual function in humans, but no cases of this have ever been recorded.
365:
Giffin B, et al. "Consumer acceptance of the use of vaccination to control boar taint is poor as it is adding one more chemical to the meat." In
26:
or pork products derived from non-castrated male pigs once they reach puberty. Boar taint is found in around 20% of entire male finishing pigs.
463:
135:
123:
other lighter-colored pigs are known to be particularly low in the androstenone-based taint while Duroc pigs are high in the taint.
145:(GnRH). This temporarily inhibits testes function and thus stops the production and accumulation of boar taint–causing compounds.
435:
160:
The vaccine will work in multiple mammalian species and is commonly used for contraceptive purposes in zoo animals and
153:
growing. The handler should be trained in the use of the vaccine and the vaccinator with enhanced safety features.
488:
142:
352:
Jeong J, et al. "The effects of immunocastration on meat quality and sensory properties of pork bellies." In
464:
https://web.archive.org/web/20090804152537/http://www.eufic.org/page/en/page/FAQ/faqid/what-is-boar-taint/
417:
Lagerkvist AJ, et al. "Swedish consumer preferences for animal welfare and biotech: A choice experiment."
326:
Jeong J, et al "The effects of immunocastration on meat quality and sensory properties of pork loins", in
378:
Hennessy D, Newbold R. "Consumer attitudes to boar taint and immunocastration: A qualitative study." In
339:
Singayan-Fajardo J, et al. "Eating quality and acceptability of pork from IMPROVAC immunized boars." In
226:
Meeusen, Els N. T.; Walker, John; Peters, Andrew; Pastoret, Paul-Pierre; Jungersen, Gregers (2007).
111:
when castrating pigs. Commercial farms that do castrate will do so in the pig's first week of life.
149:
eliminated, because the lower steroid levels allow the liver to more efficiently metabolise it.
141:
The vaccine works by stimulating the pig's immune system to produce specific antibodies against
103:
to prevent boar taint. Castration rates vary from country to country, and most still do not use
31:
8:
483:
78:
Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the
478:
273:
260:
227:
195:
309:
265:
247:
277:
301:
255:
239:
191:
22:
is the offensive odor or taste that can be evident during the cooking or eating of
79:
493:
472:
251:
115:
313:
305:
269:
43:
42:
Boar taint is caused by the accumulation of two compounds –
243:
131:
391:
Hennessy D. "Consumer attitudes to boar taint and immunocastration." In
104:
48:
108:
100:
180:
16:
Offensive odor or taste of pork from non-castrated adult male pigs
161:
27:
64:
290:
211:
225:
23:
406:
Proceedings Pfizer
Symposium at 20th Int Pig Vet Soc Cong
114:
Another possible method to control boar taint is to use
221:
219:
238:(3). American Society for Microbiology: 489–510.
216:
470:
404:Allison J. "IMPROVAC: Consumer acceptance." In
436:"Fears over use of chemicals to castrate pigs"
207:
205:
284:
259:
202:
54:
228:"Current Status of Veterinary Vaccines"
471:
393:Proceedings 3rd Asian Pig Vet Soc Cong
433:
367:Proceedings 20th Int Pig Vet Soc Cong
354:Proceedings 20th Int Pig Vet Soc Cong
341:Proceedings 19th Int Pig Vet Soc Cong
328:Proceedings 20th Int Pig Vet Soc Cong
76:about USDA pork smelling inspection.
58:
434:Jowit, Juliette (24 January 2010).
13:
14:
505:
457:
380:Proceedings 18th Int Pig Vet Soc
63:
427:
411:
398:
385:
372:
359:
346:
333:
320:
174:
143:gonadotropin-releasing hormone
126:
99:For centuries, pigs have been
1:
232:Clinical Microbiology Reviews
196:10.1016/S0301-6226(12)80012-1
167:
408:, Durban, South Africa, 2008
369:, Durban, South Africa, 2008
356:, Durban, South Africa, 2008
330:, Durban, South Africa, 2008
184:Livestock Production Science
7:
343:, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2006
10:
510:
294:Journal of Animal Science
37:
382:, Hamburg, Germany, 2004
134:against boar taint with
30:may also be detected in
306:10.2527/2001.79102524x
74:is missing information
55:Controlling boar taint
489:Veterinary castration
395:, Wuhan, China, 2007
244:10.1128/cmr.00005-07
97:
96:
501:
451:
450:
448:
446:
431:
425:
415:
409:
402:
396:
389:
383:
376:
370:
363:
357:
350:
344:
337:
331:
324:
318:
317:
288:
282:
281:
263:
223:
214:
209:
200:
199:
178:
116:sex sorted semen
92:
89:
83:
67:
59:
509:
508:
504:
503:
502:
500:
499:
498:
469:
468:
460:
455:
454:
444:
442:
432:
428:
416:
412:
403:
399:
390:
386:
377:
373:
364:
360:
351:
347:
338:
334:
325:
321:
300:(10): 2524–35.
289:
285:
224:
217:
210:
203:
179:
175:
170:
129:
93:
87:
84:
77:
68:
57:
40:
17:
12:
11:
5:
507:
497:
496:
491:
486:
481:
467:
466:
459:
458:External links
456:
453:
452:
426:
410:
397:
384:
371:
358:
345:
332:
319:
283:
215:
201:
172:
171:
169:
166:
128:
125:
95:
94:
71:
69:
62:
56:
53:
39:
36:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
506:
495:
492:
490:
487:
485:
482:
480:
477:
476:
474:
465:
462:
461:
441:
437:
430:
423:
420:
414:
407:
401:
394:
388:
381:
375:
368:
362:
355:
349:
342:
336:
329:
323:
315:
311:
307:
303:
299:
295:
287:
279:
275:
271:
267:
262:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
222:
220:
213:
208:
206:
197:
193:
189:
185:
177:
173:
165:
163:
158:
154:
150:
146:
144:
139:
137:
133:
124:
120:
117:
112:
110:
106:
102:
91:
88:December 2020
81:
75:
72:This section
70:
66:
61:
60:
52:
50:
45:
35:
33:
29:
25:
21:
445:18 September
443:. Retrieved
440:The Observer
439:
429:
421:
418:
413:
405:
400:
392:
387:
379:
374:
366:
361:
353:
348:
340:
335:
327:
322:
297:
293:
286:
235:
231:
212:"Boar Taint"
190:(1): 63–80.
187:
183:
176:
159:
155:
151:
147:
140:
130:
121:
113:
98:
85:
73:
44:androstenone
41:
19:
18:
132:Vaccination
127:Vaccination
484:Castration
473:Categories
419:AgBioForum
168:References
105:anesthesia
49:tryptophan
20:Boar taint
479:Andrology
422:2006;9(1)
252:0893-8512
109:analgesia
101:castrated
80:talk page
314:11721830
278:14703587
270:17630337
136:Improvac
261:1932753
162:oestrus
28:Skatole
424::51–58
312:
276:
268:
258:
250:
38:Causes
274:S2CID
32:gilts
494:Pigs
447:2020
310:PMID
266:PMID
248:ISSN
24:pork
302:doi
256:PMC
240:doi
192:doi
107:or
475::
438:.
308:.
298:79
296:.
272:.
264:.
254:.
246:.
236:20
234:.
230:.
218:^
204:^
188:32
186:.
449:.
316:.
304::
280:.
242::
198:.
194::
90:)
86:(
82:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
