EFFECT OF DIETARY VITAMIN-E SUPPLEMENTATION ON PORK QUALITY

The purpose of this experiment was to examine the effect of dietary vi tamin E supplementation on pork quality, and in particular on colour s tability. Crossbred pigs (n = 72) at a mean weight of 44 kg were assig ned to one of two treatments. One group received, during a period of 8 4 days prior to slaughter, a tapioca based diet, which contained 8 mg vitamin E per kg feed. The other group received during this period the same diet, except it was supplemented with 200 mg vitamin E per kg fe ed. Muscle samples of longissimus thoracis and lumborum (LL) and psoas (PM) were collected at 24 hr post mortem and meat quality was assesse d, pH, drip and cooking loss, shear force and intramuscular fat conten t. Colour stability was evaluated in fresh muscle (LL and PM) and afte r freezing (LL only) by measuring redness (a-values) during 6 days of storage at 7 degrees C. TBA-values and microbiological counts were al so determined during storage. Results showed that extra dietary vitami n E had no effect on pig performance (daily gain, feed efficiency, lea n meat percentage) nor on meal quality traits. The vitamin E levels we re five times higher in the muscles of the treated group than the cont rol group. In comparison with fresh LL muscle, colour stability was lo wer in PM and after freezing. In both muscles, the vitamin E treatment reduced TBA-values, in particular after frozen storage. No effect was found on microbiological counts. Colour stability was improved in LL after 6 days of storage, but not in PM. The effect in LL is too late t o be of practical significance, since pork is usually sold well before that time in The Netherlands. It is suggested that variation in feeds tuff composition of the diet may possibly explain part of the variable results reported in literature for the effect of vitamin E supplement ation on colour stability of pork. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.