Use of Mediterranean By-Products to Produce Entire Male Large White Pig: Meat and Fat Quality

Abstract

A total of 70 male growing non-castrated pigs (Large White), with a 23.07 ± 2.87 kg average body weight (BW), were randomly allocated to three treatments in a 103 day trial: a CONTROL diet and two experimental diets, ALLIUM (5 g/kg of Allium spp. extract) and OLIVE (100 g/kg of olive pulp). Animals were slaughtered at 115 kg live body weight. Meat and fat quality were analyzed. Animals fed ALLIUM and OLIVE had higher water holding capacity (WHC) than those fed the control diet. No significant differences were observed between groups for cooking loss, drip losses and color CIELab. No antioxidant effect was observed on an oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) test. Animals fed OLIVE presented a more unsaturated fatty acid profile than CONTROL and ALLIUM. Meat from ALLIUM group and OLIVE showed her values of brightness and meat odor than CONTROL. Mean scores of sensory analyses (color, odor, flavor and juiciness) of cooked samples were similar for the three treatments, with the meat samples from the ALLIUM and OLIVE treatments being less hard. Consumers did not reflect a preference for any of the treatments. Both by-products could be used for pork production.

Keywords: Allium spp. extract; antioxidant capacity; fatty acid profile; olive pulp; pig feeding; pork; sensory analysis.

Figure 1

Rank-ordered results of consumer preference (by decreasing order from 1 to 3) for the treatments obtained in the ranking test (n = 60). Results are expressed as the sum of rank scores of consumers (p > 0.05 based on Friedmans test).

Figure 2

Radar chart with the results about principal parameters influencing the decision of consumers (n = 60) on the ranking test. Results are expressed as the sum of consumers selecting each parameter.