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The quality of pork meat results from a complex interaction among biological, environmental, and technological factors that operate throughout the entire production chain. Ante mortem factors such as genetics, nutrition, management, sex, age, and animal welfare determine muscle composition and the metabolic response of the animal at slaughter. In contrast, post mortem factors including chilling rate, pH, electrical stimulation (ES), acidification, aging, and storage influence the biochemical processes of meat, largely determining its sensory and technological properties such as color, flavor, tenderness, maturation, water-holding capacity, and carcass yield. Evidence gathered in this review indicates that stress levels, glycogen availability, and carcass acidification rate are directly related to the occurrence of quality defects such as PSE (pale, soft, and exudative) and DFD (dark, firm, and dry) meat. This highlights the importance of analyzing the interactions between ante and post slaughter factors to optimize production processes, reduce losses, and obtain products that meet current demands for quality, safety, and processing.