Societal concerns about conventional pig production have been increasing for a number of years in Europe. The conventional production system is generally thought to be associated with a negative environmental impact (pollution, offensive odors), and poor animal welfare due to high animal densities and bad housing conditions, and is perceived to result in reduced meat quality (Rainelli, 2001; Ngapo et al., 2003). Thus, in the near future, the pork industry has to propose pig production systems that satisfy consumer and citizen demands for lower environmental impact, improved animal welfare, and better meat quality. In this study a total of 120 crossbred [synthetic line × (Large White × Landrace)] pigs (castrated males and females) were used to evaluate the influence of rearing conditions for growing-finishing pigs on growth performance, carcass, stress reactions at slaughter, and meat eating quality. At approximately 35 kg of live weight (LW), littermates were allocated to either a conventional (fully slatted floor, 0.65 m²/pig, considered as control, CON) or an alternative (sawdust bedding with free access to an outdoor area, 2.4m²/pig, OUT) system, until slaughter at approximately 110 kg of LW. Pigs had free access to standard growing and finishing diets. The trials were conducted in spring, summer, and winter, with each season involving 2 pens of 10 pigs in each system. Compared with the CON, the OUT pigs exhibited a greater growth rate due to their greater feed intake, resulting in a greater body weight at slaughter. The OUT pigs had thicker backfat and lower lean meat content than the CON pigs. The OUT system did not influence the behavioral activities of pigs during lairage at the slaughterhouse, or the urinary levels of catecholamines and cortisol, and plasma levels of ACTH, cortisol, lactate, creatine kinase, and FFA immediately after slaughter. The OUT pigs had similar pH values 30 min postmortem in the lean meat, biceps femoris and semimembranosus muscles, but lower ultimate pH in semimembranosus muscles and in the backfat. Despite nonsignificant effects of production system on stress reactions at slaughter, assessed by urine and plasma indicators and muscle metabolism at 30 min postmortem, meat from OUT pigs had more lean meat drip loss after 2 and 4 days than did meat from the CON pigs. The OUT system slightly increased meat yellowness in the lean meat back fat, and semimembranosus muscles, whereas redness and lightness of the 3 muscles were unaffected. Also, intramuscular fat content was greater in the lean meat, backfat and semimembranosus muscles of the OUT pigs. It was also concluded that outdoor rearing during summer and winter improved meat juiciness, whereas odor, flavor, and tenderness were unaffected. Influence of rearing conditions on all the other traits studied did not depend on the season.