# Can Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) Be Used to Predict Pig's Meat Quality In Vivo?
###### Abstract  
The aim of the current study was to evaluate the possibility of application of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in order to estimate pork quality. The BIA measurements were tested on 18 living animals for the prediction of the meat quality. The absolute resultant electrical resistance (Rz) and reactance (Xc) of the body was measured with a set of disposable surface electrodes at the frequency of 50 kHz and the current intensity of 400 \(\mu\)A. The characteristics of meat quality, pH measured 1 h and 24 h after slaughter, meat color parameters represented in CIE L*a*b* system, glycolytic potential, intramuscular fat, and natural drip loss, were assessed on the samples of the _Longsismus dorsi_ (LD) muscle. The slaughter value of pigs was characterized on the basis of hot carcass weight (HCW) and percent of meat in carcass. The results showed a significant Pearson correlation between bioelectrical impedance parameter Rz and pH1 (\(r=0.48^{\circ},p<0.05\)). A significant Spearman correlation was showed between color b* value and the Rz/Xc/HCW ratio (\(r=-0.62^{\circ}\), \(p<0.05\)) and Xc (\(r=-0.51^{\circ},p<0.05\)), as well as between the Rz/Xc ratio with pH1 (\(r=0.48^{\circ},p<0.05\)). The multivariate statistical method (principal component analysis and cluster analysis) showed that bioimpedance measurements combined with meat quality traits make it possible to distinguish groups with different quality parameters. However, the relationships between them are complex and still require analysis. bioelectrical impedance; resistance; reactance; pork meat quality 2022200223 November 20222220222022202  
the technological and sensory quality of meat.Therefore, non-invasive techniques used to monitor the safety and quality of beef and pork are currently a trend in research [4; 5; 6]. Hence, non-destructive new technologies used in monitoring the safety and quality of beef and pork, such as techniques of imaging, imaging of magnetic resonance, imaging of X-ray, imaging of ultrasound, and spectroscopic and electronic nose are still in demand [7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13]. The literature review demonstrated that the techniques were mostly developed for laboratory use [13]. There is a lack of evidence regarding their feasibility on an industrial level. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is used as a reliable, safe, and efficient way of studying human body structure in order to estimate fat-free mass as well as muscle and body fat ratio [14]. This method is used for measuring body composition in experiments on laboratory animals [15; 16]. Therefore, the exploration and research of methodologies and technologies are crucial for the efficacious quality assessment of zoo technical products. Therefore, bioelectrical impedance (BIA) is characterized as being a technology of fast and simple analysis, is non- invasive, and is relatively cost-effective and objective. BIA has a predictive potential for the assessment of composition of chemical tissue of farm animal carcasses [3]. However, the possibility of predicting or measuring meat quality traits in live animals gives the capability to aid breeding decisions through the availability of phenotypes for those traits on chosen candidates [3]. It can also be an efficient tool used to evaluate the composition of the bodies of farm animals and their carcasses [17; 18]. Such assessments are a good source of knowledge about the amount of extracellular water and its relation to the total water content in an organism [19; 20]. The quantity of extracellular water in pig carcasses can be very important in estimating the natural drip loss, which has essential meaning for meat processing [21]. Bioelectrical impedance analysis could also be applied to estimate the empirical quality of pork. The analysis of livestock body composition can facilitate the selection of animals that are the best, adjusted for the intended purpose in the meat industry [11; 13; 22]. Currently, several biochemical methods are used to assess meat quality, but they have some drawbacks [23].