Consumer Preferences for Cured Meat Products from the Autochthonous Black Slavonian Pig

This study investigated the attitudes of Croatian consumers regarding their preferences for cured meat products from the Black Slavonian Pig. The survey was conducted on a sample of 410 consumers who completed an online survey about their consumption habits, knowledge about the pig breed, and socio-demographic characteristics. In this study, the independent samples t-test and ANOVA were conducted to determine the significant differences between the most important attributes in the purchase of cured Black Slavonian Pig products and the socio-demographic characteristics, consumption, and purchase habits of the respondents. Statistically significant differences were found between the studied intrinsic (color, odor, fat content, and salt content) and extrinsic variables (production method, brand, quality mark, and origin) in relation to the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents (gender, age, employment status, number of household members, and number of children under 15 in the household) and place of purchase, knowledge about the breed, and frequency of consumption of Black Slavonian Pig meat and products. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to determine the consumer segments. Based on the responses received, three homogeneous consumer segments were identified: intrinsically oriented meat consumers, extrinsically oriented meat consumers, and uninterested meat consumers. The information obtained in the study is important for producers and retailers, as they can use our findings to develop successful marketing tools and different marketing strategies to promote cured Black Slavonian Pig products.

The Interaction between Feed Bioactive Compounds and Chicken Genome

Consumer demand for high quality and safe foods that will have a positive impact on their health has increased in recent years. Today, it is possible to meet those demands by combining the genetic potential of domestic animals and applying different feeding strategies. Nutrigenomics is one of the "omics" sciences that studies the interaction between nutrients and the genome together with their influence on metabolic and physiological processes in the body. While nutrition of domestic animals is solely based on studying the influence of nutrients on animal health and production traits, nutrigenomics integrates the fields of nutrition, genomics, molecular genetics and bioinformatics. By understanding the molecular relationships between different forms and/or concentrations of nutrients in feed and genes, it is possible to answer the question of how small changes in the diet of farm animals can produce a quality product with positive effects on human health. The aim of this article is to describe how the manipulation of adding different nutrients in the feed affects the expression of different genes in chicken and consequently alters their phenotype.

Prediction of fatty acid composition in intact and minced fat of European autochthonous pigs breeds by near infrared spectroscopy

The fatty acids profile has been playing a decisive role in recent years, thanks to technological, sensory and health demands from producers and consumers. The application of NIRS technique on fat tissues, could lead to more efficient, practical, and economical in the quality control. The study aim was to assess the accuracy of Fourier Transformed Near Infrared Spectroscopy technique to determine fatty acids composition in fat of 12 European local pig breeds. A total of 439 spectra of backfat were collected both in intact and minced tissue and then were analyzed using gas chromatographic analysis. Predictive equations were developed using the 80% of samples for the calibration, followed by full cross validation, and the remaining 20% for the external validation test. NIRS analysis of minced samples allowed a better response for fatty acid families, n6 PUFA, it is promising both for n3 PUFA quantification and for the screening (high, low value) of the major fatty acids. Intact fat prediction, although with a lower predictive ability, seems suitable for PUFA and n6 PUFA while for other families allows only a discrimination between high and low values.

Consumers’ Preference for the Consumption of the Fresh Black Slavonian Pig’s Meat

There are limited data on Croatian consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay for fresh meat from the Black Slavonian pig. The survey was conducted on a sample of n = 410 Croatian consumers, using a hypothetical choice experiment to examine how food attributes and information treatment influence consumers’ decisions regarding fresh ham meat of the Black Slavonian pig. The hypothetical choice experiment was conducted using fresh boneless pork ham with three attributes (price, colour and geographical information) as the focuses of the product. Croatian consumers were randomly assigned to one of two treatment options (control or information) in an online survey to investigate the role of information. Our results indicate that Croatian consumers have a clear preference for fresh boneless ham from the Black Slavonian pig produced in both production systems and labelled as reared in continental Croatia and with a protected designation of origin (PDO) label, compared with fresh boneless ham produced from conventionally reared pigs (intensive rearing—indoor rearing) without the label. The results show that the information given to consumers about the production system, meat colour and geographical information positively influenced consumer choice. Appropriate labelling and information about the product can positively influence consumers’ preferences, which indicates the importance of highlighting the traditional characteristics (production system, darker colour of the meat and production area) of fresh meat from Black Slavonian pig on the label in promotional activities.

Describing variability in pig genes involved in coronavirus infections for a One Health perspective in conservation of animal genetic resources

Coronaviruses silently circulate in human and animal populations, causing mild to severe diseases. Therefore, livestock are important components of a “One Health” perspective aimed to control these viral infections. However, at present there is no example that considers pig genetic resources in this context. In this study, we investigated the variability of four genes (ACE2, ANPEP and DPP4 encoding for host receptors of the viral spike proteins and TMPRSS2 encoding for a host proteinase) in 23 European (19 autochthonous and three commercial breeds and one wild boar population) and two Asian Sus scrofa populations. A total of 2229 variants were identified in the four candidate genes: 26% of them were not previously described; 29 variants affected the protein sequence and might potentially interact with the infection mechanisms. The results coming from this work are a first step towards a “One Health” perspective that should consider conservation programs of pig genetic resources with twofold objectives: (i) genetic resources could be reservoirs of host gene variability useful to design selection programs to increase resistance to coronaviruses; (ii) the described variability in genes involved in coronavirus infections across many different pig populations might be part of a risk assessment including pig genetic resources.

Influence of Immunocastration on Slaughter Traits and Boar Taint Compounds in Pigs Originating from Three Different Terminal Sire Lines

Simple Summary

Due to the negative public opinion and welfare issues related to surgical castration, gradual introduction of alternatives like entire males and immunocastrates is taking place. Despite several economical and welfare advantages that the alternatives offer, numerous issues (i.e., boar taint, meat quality alterations), as well as their interactions with rearing and breeding (genetic) factors remain unanswered. Therefore, the focus of this study was to investigate the possibility of using different commercial sire lines in three male sex categories (entire males, immunocastrates, surgical castrates) and to compare their carcass traits, meat quality and boar taint compounds. A significant effect of terminal sire line and/or male category together with their interaction was observed for most of the investigated carcass and meat quality traits. The observed interaction should be taken into consideration when deciding on the production of a specific male category.

Abstract

The aim of the research was to investigate the influence of terminal sire line (TSL) and male category (MC) on carcass and meat quality of commercial fatteners. The study was performed on 180 pigs originating from three terminal sire lines: A (Pietrain × Large White), B (pure Pietrain), and C (Pietrain × Duroc × Large White), being assigned to three groups according to MC: immunocastrates (IC, n = 60), surgical castrates (SC, n = 60) and entire males (EM, n = 60). TSL affected most of the carcass and meat quality traits, together with the androstenone concentration. At the same time, MC had a significant effect on fat thickness, ham circumference, drip loss, cooking loss and androstenone and skatole concentrations. A significant interaction effect was observed for carcass length and ham circumference, as well as for most of the measured meat quality traits (except cooking loss, CIE L*, CIE b*, and Warner Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF)). Among the three investigated sire lines, immunocastration was shown to be most beneficial for fatteners sired by the TSL C. However, if deciding to raise EM, fatteners from the TSL B are recommended in terms of carcass and meat quality, although strategies for avoiding boar taint in their carcasses must be taken into consideration.

Genomic Characterization of the Istrian Shorthaired Hound

Istrian shorthaired hound is an old indigenous Croatian dog breed with historical traces of its origin, which date back to the 14th century. Due to its intelligence and great hunting abilities, it is considered an excellent hunting dog. Despite its ancient origin, there is no data on genetic diversity, population structure, and degree of inbreeding that could be used for advanced management and conservation of this breed. Our study aimed to provide a high-resolution population structure of the Istrian shorthaired hound using a 220K HD SNP array, to compare the obtained data with the genealogical records and to place the breed in a broader context of world dog populations. Relatively high population size and low inbreeding coefficient estimated from genealogical data indicate a preserved genetic diversity in this breed. The principle component analysis, the NeighborNet network, and TreeMix were used to determine the genetic relationship between the Istrian shorthaired hound and other breeds. The Istrian shorthaired hound was found to be genetically related to Italian hunting dogs sharing the same branch with the Segugio Italiano a Pelo Raso and Segugio Italiano a Pelo Forte. The ADMIXTURE analysis indicated that the Istrian shorthaired hound could be involved in the development of some other hunting dog breeds. The estimated effective population size (Ne) based on SNP data was similar to Ne calculated from genealogical data indicating the absence of bottlenecks and well-balanced use of breeding animals. The low genomic inbreeding coefficient, together with the higher number of short runs of homozygosity, observed in the Istrian shorthaired hound, confirms the ancient origin of the breed based on historical documents. The analysis of selective sweeps identified genomic regions with the strongest selection signals in the vicinity of the genes associated with cognitive performance and behavior. Genome analysis proved to be a useful tool for estimating population parameters and can be implemented in the conservation plan for this indigenous breed.

Attitudes and beliefs of Eastern European consumers towards piglet castration and meat from castrated pigs

Castration of male piglets is a common practice to avoid boar taint but is being questioned. The present work has an exploratory character and aims to investigate the beliefs and attitudes of Eastern European consumers regarding boar taint, surgical castration immunocastration and perception of meat from castrated pigs and to find out possible segments of consumers regarding these attitudes and beliefs. For this purpose, a consumer study was carried out involving 5508 consumers from 13 Eastern European countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, North Macedonia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine). The questionnaire included statements related to beliefs about castration and perception of meat from castrated pigs, attitudes towards meat from castrated pigs. Results show that in general beliefs and attitudes of the consumers are not defined, probably because of the lack of knowledge (information was not provided to the consumers) towards these issues. Three different clusters of consumers were obtained with different beliefs towards castration.