EFFECT OF INCORPORATION OF DIETARY POLYUNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS IN PORK BACKFAT ON THE QUALITY OF SALAMI

The suitability of backfat high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) for salami manufacture was assessed. Eighty pigs (barrows and gilts) w ere fed four diets, containing 21, 25, 28 and 28 g PUFA/kg feed, origi nating mainly from soybeans and/or soybean oil in the first three diet s and from linseed in the fourth. Salami was prepared with backfat fro m these pigs, according to gender and dietary treatment. Samples were taken throughout the ripening. The taste panel rejected the two high P UFA (diet 3 and 4) levels; moreover fishy off-flavours were detected f or dietary treatment four. Twenty-Jive grams PUFA/kg feed, correspondi ng with 23% PUFA in backfat or 15% PUFA in salami, results in acceptab le taste, if linoleic acid is the predominant PUFA. However, all PUFA levels resulted in salamis too soft to be commercialized, as evidenced by a fatty film on the salami slicing machine. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scie nce Ltd. All rights reserved.