Fatty acid composition and tocopherol concentrations in muscle of entire male, castrated male and female pigs, reared in an indoor or outdoor housing system

The effect of salting time and sex on chemical and textural properties of dry cured ham

Effect of reduced salting and pig sex on the quality of Slovenian dry-cured ham Kraški pršut was studied. A total of 48 hams from 24 crossbred pigs (12 gilts, 12 castrates) were submitted to two different salting regimes; standard salting for 18 days (HS hams, n = 24) and shortened salting (LS hams, n = 24) for 10 days. Reduced salting time effectively reduced salt content but resulted also in higher extent of proteolysis of LS hams which was associated with differences in texture and colour of biceps femoris muscle. Lower fat oxidative stability was observed in HS hams. With regard to sex effect, the hams originating from gilts were more proteolysed which was associated with differences in texture and colour. Lipid oxidation was similar in gilts and castrates.

Lipolysis and aroma generation as mechanisms involved in masking boar taint in sodium reduced fermented sausages inoculated with Debaryomyces hansenii yeast

BACKGROUND

The use of boar back fat for processing of fermented sausages may cause the presence of abnormal odours. In dry-cured products, ripening time is essential to develop the sensory characteristics. Yeast has been proposed as an alternative to mask boar taint odour through its metabolic activity but it is necessary to elucidate which mechanisms are involved. The aim is to study the effect of Debaryomyces hansenii inoculation on the lipolysis process and generation of aroma compounds in fermented sausages manufactured with boar back fat at two different ripening times.

RESULTS

D. hansenii inoculated sausages had a higher degree of lipolysis as demonstrated by higher content of free fatty acids, ester compounds and branched aldehydes which contribute the fruity odour. The increase in lipolysis produced by D. hansenii inoculation was not followed by an increase in oxidation during processing possibly due to the metabolic activity of yeast. The effect of back fat type was scarcely appreciated whereas ripening time had a stronger effect on sausage. Boar sausages were characterised by a lower polyunsaturated fatty acid profile and lesser lipolysis than gilt sausages.

CONCLUSION

Yeast inoculation with D. hansenii and long ripening time were appropriate strategies to limit the perception of boar taint in dry fermented sausages. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of intramuscular fat, breed, and age at slaughter on fatty acid composition in green hams

The evolution of fatty acid classes (ΣSFA, ΣMUFA, and ΣPUFA) in neutral lipids (NL) and phospholipids (PL) in pigs were studied. The M. biceps femoris in green hams from Norwegian breeds Landrace (LR), Duroc (DU), and Hampshire (HS) slaughtered at 6, 7.5, and 9 mo of age were examined. The parameters were analyzed for age and breed effects with and without adjustment for NL or PL content. The fatty acid class contents of NL were not significantly different between the age groups. However, when NL content was adjusted, deposition of ΣSFA and ΣMUFA in NL significantly increased and deposition of ΣPUFA in NL significantly decreased with age. Duroc had consistently higher fatty acid class contents, but after adjusting for NL content, only the deposition of ΣSFA proved to be genetically different. The nonlinear relationship between NL content and ΣMUFA and ΣPUFA, together with the genetic potential of HS to deposit less ΣSFA than LR, gave significantly different fatty acid class compositions between the breeds. The content and proportion of ΣMUFA in PL increased with age. Specific ratios were also determined. The fat firmness index, C18:0/C18:2n - 6 in NL, increased with age and was lowest in HS due to genetics and highest in DU due to its high NL content. The sensory rancidity index C18:1n - 9/Σn - 6 increased in NL and decreased in PL between 7.5 and 9 mo. The C18:1n - 9/Σn - 6 in NL was highest in DU due to higher NL content. The Σn - 6/Σn - 3 in NL and PL increased between 7.5 and 9 mo.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Knowledge of age-related changes and breed differences in fat content and composition would be helpful in determining the optimal breed and slaughter time in terms of raw ham quality.

Influence of rearing system, diet and gender on performance, carcass traits and meat quality of Polish Landrace pigs

Forty-eight Polish Landrace pigs (initially 32.43 ± 0.70 kg live weight) were assigned to a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in order to assess the effects of the rearing system (outdoor v. indoor), diet (with corn grain silage v. without corn grain silage) and gender (barrows v. gilts) on performance, carcass traits, meat quality and intramuscular collagen (IMC) characteristics. During the trial period of 14 weeks, each group was housed in a pen of 12 m2, and the outdoor-reared animals had access to a paddock of 24 m2. Pigs were fed a diet computed according to standard requirements and supplied on a basis of 9% of metabolic weight (live weight0.75). Pigs were slaughtered at 110.69 ± 0.85 kg. The rearing system did not significantly affect growth, hot and cold dressing, meat quality of m. longissimus lumborum or IMC. Outdoor pigs had less (P < 0.05) backfat thickness, slightly higher (P = 0.082) lean percent and a meat with lower pH and fat than the conventional system. In light of these results, alternative pig rearing systems with indoor space and free outdoor access could be an interesting production system for the pigs. Compared with the pigs fed diets with corn grain silage, those fed diets without corn had higher (P < 0.05) lean, ham percentage and IMC content, lower (P < 0.05) neck percentage but similar main tissue components of the ham and meat quality. Compared with the gilts, barrows were fatter and showed a meat with different physico-chemical traits, which was slightly more tender and had similar IMC properties.

Effects of caponisation on lipid and fatty acid composition of intramuscular and abdominal fat of medium-growth broilers

1. Capons and intact male broilers were used to investigate the effects of caponisation on intramuscular fat and abdominal adipose tissue lipid content and fatty acid profile. 2. Capons had significantly higher total lipid content (P<0·05). 3. Neutral lipids were the major fractions in intramuscular and abdominal fat but their proportions differed significantly among groups and tissues (P<0·05). 4. The predominant saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in all samples were C16:0, C16:1 ω-9, C18:0, C18:1 ω-9, C18:1 ω-7, C18:2 ω-6 and C20:4 ω-6. 5. Caponisation resulted in a significant ω-6/ω-3, PUFA and PUFA/SFA ratio reduction as well as a significant increase in atherogenic and thrombogenic indices increase in intramuscular fat (P<0·05) without affecting their appropriate value for a healthy diet.

Pork Fat Composition of Male Hybrids from Lithuanian Indigenous Wattle Pigs and Wild Boar Intercross

The aim of this study was to compare the fatty acid composition of lipids from hybrids of Lithuanian indigenous wattle pigs × wild boar (WB) intercross. A total of 39 entire and castrated males from 1/4 and 1/2 WB genotype were included into the study. The fatness of carcasses from ½ WB genotype ( p<0.01) and castrated males ( p<0.01) was higher than that from 1/4 WB genotype and entire boars. 1/2 WB hybrids had higher content of C17 : 0 ( p<0.01), C17 : 1 and C18 : 3n - 3 fatty acids ( p<0.05) and higher PUFA:SFA ratio ( p<0.05) but lower content of C16:0 fatty acid of intramuscular fat than 1/4 WB hybrids. In subcutaneous tissue 1/2 WB hybrids had higher proportion of C17:0 ( p<0.001), C17:1 ( p<0.05), C18 : 3n - 3 ( p<0.05) but lower proportion of C16 : 1 ( p<0.05). Entire boars had lower content of C16:0 ( p<0.01), C18:1 ( p<0.05), C20 :1 ( p<0.05), and the total MUFA ( p<0.05) but higher content of C18 : 2n - 6 ( p<0.05) and the total PUFA ( p<0.01), PUFA:SFA ratio ( p<0.01) than castrates. Significant Pearson's correlations of the intramuscular fat content from both genotypes with MUFA were positive, but those with PUFA and PUFA : SFA ratio were negative. High positive correlation of IMF with SFA was found only in 1/4 WB genotype. PUFA and PUFA: SFA ratio also showed negative correlation with backfat thickness in both genotypes. The correlation coefficients within entire boar and castrate groups were lower than within genetic groups.

A sensory description of boar taint and the effects of crude and dried chicory roots (Cichorium intybus L.) and inulin feeding in male and female pork

Sensory profiling studies were carried out to evaluate the effects of chicory root (Cichorium intybus L.) and inulin bioactive feeding with respect to reducing the 'off-flavour' boar taint in intact male and female pork Longissimus dorsi and Psoas major. Feeding treatments significantly reduced perceived sensory boar taint in the cooked pork meat of intact males in both muscles. There were also indications that crude chicory was also effective in taint descriptor reduction in female pork, however not to the same systematic level as in male animals. Chemical measurements for skatole and androstenone were highly predictive of specific sensory descriptors of boar taint reduction. Feeding of crude, dried chicory and inulin were also determined not to impart negative sensory characteristics upon boar taint reduction. Chicory feeding therefore must be considered to have the potential for utilisation as part of a strategy for boar taint reduction in intact male pork.