OXIDATIVE STABILITY AND DIETARY-TREATMENT WITH VITAMIN-E, OLEIC-ACID AND COPPER OF FRESH AND COOKED PORK CHOPS

Research has been conducted on the effects of feed supplementation wit h vitamin E, oleic acid (sunflower oil) and copper on some quality cha racteristics of pork chops. The study was based on the measurement of pH 45' and 24 hr post mortem, proximate composition, colour both objec tive and sensory, colour stability after packing in oxygen permeable f ilm and protective atmosphere, copper and iron contents, vitamin E con tent in fresh and cooked chops, peroxide and TEARS value in raw and co oked meat, total cholesterol, cholesterol oxides and aldehydes in cook ed meat, sensory evaluation of the eating quality of cooked chops and iodine number of subcutaneous fat. Vitamin E content was significantly higher with oil and vitamin supplementation. No variation has been ob served in copper and iron contents. A higher stability of the colour o f meat packed under modified atmosphere has been observed with increas ing vitamin E content, but the same did not apply with meat packed in oxygen permeable film. No differences have been observed on fatty acid oxidative stability of fresh m. longissimus dorsi and cooked chops (p eroxide and TEARS values), on cholesterol oxidation and aldehydes prod uction of cooked chops with increasing vitamin E content. Iodine numbe r in supplemented animals reached levels normally considered at risk f or fat firmness. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.