OXIDATIVE STABILITY OF FROZEN-STORED RAW PORK CHOPS, CHILL-STORED PRE-FROZEN RAW PORK CHOPS, AND FROZEN STORED PRECOOKED SAUSAGES IN RELATION TO DIETARY CUSO4, RAPESEED OIL AND VITAMIN-E

Danish Landrace x Danish Yorkshire female pigs were fed either a stand ard diet or a standard diet enriched with 6% rapeseed oil and suppleme nted with increasing amounts of vitamin E (0, 100 or 200 mg all-rac-al pha-tocopheryl acetate/kg feed) and copper (0. 35 or 175 mg CuSO4/kg f eed), and the effect of dietary regimen on the oxidative stability of (1) frozen-stored raw pork chops packed in atmospheric air, (2) chill- stored pre-frozen pork chops packed in atmospheric air, and (3) freeze r-stored, vacuum-packed pre-cooked sausages was investigated. The addi tion of 6% rapeseed oil did not influence the oxidative stability of t he pork chops negatively, whereas the oxidative stability of a product such as the pre-cooked sausages (Danish dinner sausages) with a highe r fat content (15%) decreased as a result of rapeseed oil feeding. Inc lusion of rapeseed oil in the diets increased the amount of monounsatu rated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the meat and fat for the production of sausages at the expense of the content o f the saturated fatty acids, and the higher content of PUFAs readily e xplains the decreased oxidative stability of the pre-cooked sausages. Feeding pigs 100 mg or 200 mg all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate/kg feed significantly increased the oxidative stability of the pork chops and the detrimental effect of rapeseed oil observed in the pre-cooked sau sages was effectively neutralised by both levels of vitamin E suppleme ntation. Supplementation with copper did mot affect the oxidative stab ility of any of the products. The presented results show that it is po ssible to produce pork products with a nutritionally improved fatty ac id profile by inclusion of 6% rapeseed oil, without affecting the oxid ative stability of the products negatively, through the protection pro vided by dietary vitamin E.