Pale, soft, exudative meat or PSE meat or PSE pork is pork

Pork

Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....

 generally regarded as being of inferior quality, characterised by its pallor, softness and low water binding capacity. It is more common in pigs sensitive to the anaesthetic halothane

Halothane

Halothane is an inhalational general anesthetic. Its IUPAC name is 2-bromo-2-chloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane. It is the only inhalational anesthetic agent containing a bromine atom; there are several other halogenated anesthesia agents which lack the bromine atom and do contain the fluorine and...

. In most cases it appears to be the result of accelerated glycolysis

Glycolysis

Glycolysis is the metabolic pathway that converts glucose C6H12O6, into pyruvate, CH3COCOO− + H+...

 (digestion of glucose

Glucose

Glucose is a simple sugar and an important carbohydrate in biology. Cells use it as the primary source of energy and a metabolic intermediate...

) after slaughter. There is also a rapid decline in the pH of the meat. This eventually leads to denaturation

Denaturation (biochemistry)

Denaturation is a process in which proteins or nucleic acids lose their tertiary structure and secondary structure by application of some external stress or compound, such as a strong acid or base, a concentrated inorganic salt, an organic solvent , or heat...

 of muscle proteins.

In 2005, the incidence of PSE meat on the market in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

was found to be 3.4%, significantly less than during a similar survey three years earlier.