Effect of protein level in commercial diets on pork meat quality

This study assessed the effect of protein level on meat quality, intramuscular and subcutaneous fat, instrumental texture and sensory attributes on Longissimus dorsi in pork. Animals were fed two experimental diets that produced two animal groups with different percentages of intramuscular fat (IMF) (1.76 vs. 2.63). There were no significant differences in meat quality or texture profile analysis parameters between IMF groups. The percentage of saturated fatty acids was also similar, but the percentage of monounsaturated was significantly higher in the group with higher IMF and the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids was higher in the group with lower IMF. IMF groups had little effect on the fatty acid composition of subcutaneous fat. Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values were significantly higher in the group with lower IMF, whereas tenderness was higher in the group with higher IMF. Finally, WBSF appeared to be a good predictor of the tenderness for grill-cooked pork. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.