Influence of type and dietary rate of inclusion of oil on meat quality of finishing pigs

Two trials were conducted to examine the influence of dietary oil type and rate of inclusion on fatty acid profiles of adipose tissue and eating quali fy of griddled pork. Trial I was based on three sources high in specific fa tty acids: palm oil (palmitic acid), follow (stearic acid) and linseed oil (linolenic acid) each at three rates of inclusion (palm at 44.6, 88.7 and 1 33.3 g/kg; tallow at 44.1, 87.6 and 131.7 g/kg; linseed oil at 40.1, 79.8 a nd 120.0 g/kg into a synthetic fat-free diet. Trial 2 was based on systemat ic replacement of soya-bean oil (incorporated at a rate of 0, 34, 69 and 10 4 g/kg diet) with olive oil (rate of 62, 46, 29 and 13 g/kg diet) to alter dietary concentrations of oleic acid. Diets were offered to pigs over the l ive-weight range 55 to 90 kg. Samples of subcutaneous fat were analysed for fatty acid composition and samples of loin assessed for meat qualify with taste panels. There were no significant effects (P > 0.05) of treatment on daily live-weight gain, food conversion ratio or gross carcass composition, with the exception of anterior loin fat for trial 1 (P < 0.05) although no t in a manner that was consistent between treatments and, in trial 2, anter ior loin fat, minimum loin fat and posterior loin fat (all P < 0.05) but, a gain, not consistently between treatments allowing no meaningful conclusion s to be drawn. Fatty acid profiles of adipose tissue reflected dietary leve ls to a variable degree, the more so with oleic acid and the greatest for l inoleic and linolenic acids. The quality of the pig meat as measured by sen sory analysis was related to the fatty acid profile in the situation where the most extreme changes in fatty acid profile occurred, as was apparent fo r the diets based upon linseed oil. No other major influences on meat quali ty were obtained.