Pork is the most consumed meat in Europe with a mean consumption of 19 600 thousand ton of carcass equivalent in 2005. However, it shows that meat quality variability is in part due to variations in post-mortem muscular energy metabolism defined as whole biochemical pathways and their interactions occurring in muscle from the animal death to the consumption. Many factors depending of animals (genetic, rearing method, feeding, stress reactivity...) or technology (stunning...) can influence post-mortem metabolism and consequently meat quality. A 2x2x2 factorial design compared proteome and some interesting gene expression in female or castrated males pigs, from 2 genetic background (Large White or Duroc sires, Large White x Landrace dams), and 2 rearing conditions (conventional indoors or alternative outdoors). Results underlined important effect of treatment factors on protein quantities and on biochemical pathways involved in meat quality. They allowed identification of specific proteins of genetic and rearing background. Treatment factors did not influence studied gene expression. Meat quality may not be a consequence of gene expression modifications, but a regulation of translational process.
