Effects of choice white grease or poultry fat on growth performance, carcass leanness, and meat quality characteristics of growing-finishing pigs

Eighty-four crossbred gilts were used to evaluate the effects of dietary ch oice white grease (CWG) or poultry fat (PF) on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and quality characteristics of longissimus muscle (LM), be lly, and bacon of growing-finishing pigs. Pigs (initially 60 kg) were fed a control diet with no added fat or diets containing 2, 4, or 6% CWG or PF. Diets were fed from 60 to 110 kg and contained 2.26 g lysine/Mcal ME. Data were analyzed as a 2 x 3 factorial plus a control with main effects of fat source (CWG and PF) and fat level (2, 4, and 6%). Pigs fed the control diet 2% fat, and 4% fat had greater (P < 0.05) ADFI than:pigs fed 6% fat. Pigs fed 6% fat had greater (P < 0.05) gain/feed (G/F) than pigs fed the control diet or other fat levels. Subcutaneous fat over the longissimus muscle fro m pigs fed CWG had more (P < 0.05) moisture than that from pigs fed PF. Fee ding dietary fat (regardless of source or level) reduced (P < 0.05) the amo unt of Saturated fats present in the LM. Similarly, 4 or 6% fat decreased ( P <less than> 0.05) the amount of saturated fats and increased unsaturated fats present in the bacon. No differences (P > 0.05) were observed for ADG, dressing percentage, leaf fat weight, LM pH, backfat depth, LM area, perce ntage lean, LM visual evaluation, LM water-holding capacity, Warner-Bratzle r shear and sensory evaluation of the LM and bacon, fat color and firmness measurements, or bacon processing characteristics. Adding dietary fat impro ved G/F and altered the fatty acid profiles of the LM and bacon, but differ ences in growth rate, carcass characteristics, and quality and sensory char acteristics of the LM and bacon were minimal. Dietary additions of up to 6% CWG or PF can be made with little effect on quality of pork LM, belly, or bacon.