Fatty Acid Profile and Lipid Quality Indexes of the Meat and Backfat from Porkers Supplemented with EM Bokashi Probiotic.

The study aimed to assess the effect of supplementation of pig diet with the Bokashi probiotic on the fatty acid profile of longissimus lumborum (LL) muscles and backfat. The research involved 120 hybrid pigs deriving from Naïma sows and P-76 boars. The experimental group's pigs received probiotics in their feed (containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus casei, and Lactobacillus plantarum). To analyze the fatty acid profile in intramuscular fat (IMF) of LL and backfat, 24 pig carcasses from the control group and 26 from the probiotic-supplemented group were randomly selected. Probiotic supplementation increased the Atherogenic Index, reduced the proportion of C20:4, and increased C12:0 and C18:2 n-6 in IMF LL, without affecting ΣSFA, ΣMUFA, and ΣPUFA. In backfat, probiotic supplementation decreased C18:1 and C18:2 n-6 proportion and increased C18:3 n-3, C20:3 n-6, and C20:4 n-6. These changes resulted in significantly higher ΣMUFA, ΣPUFA, PUFA Σn-3/Σn-6, and lower Saturation Index (SI). From a consumer health and technological point of view, probiotic supplementation improved the lipid profile of backfat to a greater extent than LL muscle. Bokashi, at a dose of 3 g/kg of feed in the last stage of pig production, had no significant effect on the fatty acid profile of the meat.

Carcass and Pork Quality and Gut Environment of Pigs Fed a Diet Supplemented with the Bokashi Probiotic.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of probiotics on gut microbiota, on carcass and meat quality and on mineral contents in the longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle in pigs. The research was carried out with 120 hybrid pigs deriving from Naïma sows and P-76 boars. Pigs from the experimental group received the EM®Bokashi probiotic (Greendland Technologia EM®, Janowiec n/Wisla, Poland) in their feed (containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum). The study showed that EM®Bokashi probiotic supplementation resulted in a significantly higher count of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts in the feed, a lower number of Clostridium in the mucosa and colorectal digesta as well as a lower Enterobacteriaceae count in the colorectal digesta. The research showed that carcasses of the pigs who received the EM®Bokashi probiotic had a higher lean percentage and lower fat content than the carcasses of the control fatteners. Diet supplementation with the EM®Bokashi probiotic resulted in a lower pH and technological yield (TY) and a higher drip loss and shear force at a lower protein content in LL muscle. Moreover, the administration of the probiotic to fatteners resulted in higher yellowness (b*) and saturation (C*) and higher concentrations of Na, Mg and Se in meat.

Effect of BioPlus YC Probiotic Supplementation on Gut Microbiota, Production Performance, Carcass and Meat Quality of Pigs.

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of probiotic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis on microbiological properties of feed mixtures and on the digestive tract content as applicable to production traits and carcass characteristics of fatteners. The experiment was performed on 83,838 fatteners from four successive (insertions) productions in two groups. From the seventy eighth day of age till marketing to the slaughter plant, the pigs were supplied with BioPlus YC probiotic (Chr. Hansen) in the amount of 400 g/t. The preparation contained a complex of probiotic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis DSM 5749, and Bacillus subtilis DSM 5750 spores in a 1:1 ratio. From the fourth insertion, after reaching a body weight of approximately 112 kg, 60 fatteners were selected from each group to measure carcass quality and half of them for meat quality evaluation. Moreover, microbiological analyses in feed and colon were performed. The study showed that BioPlus YC probiotics supplementation resulted in a significantly higher count of B. subtilis and B. licheniformis in the feed, a higher count of B. subtilis, B. licheniformis and LAB, as well as a lower count of Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Clostridium and Bacillus sp. in the mucosa and in the colorectal content of the test pigs. Our work has shown that supplementation with the BioPlus YC probiotic had a positive effect on the production traits of pigs mainly by reducing mortality (2.83%, p = 0.010), lowering feed conversion ratio-FCR (2.59 kg/kg, p = 0.013), better average daily gain-ADG (0.95 kg/day, p = 0.002) and shorter fattening period (77.25 days, p = 0.019) when compared to the control group (4.19%; 2.79 kg/kg; 0.89 kg/day; 92.8 days, respectively). The addition of the specific Bacillus bacteria did not influence carcass and meat characteristics of the test fatteners.

A comparison of two methods of determining colour change in the assessment of the quality of pork.

BACKGROUND: The colour of pork is one of the most important measures of meat quality. For the consumer, it is a sign of freshness, crucial for the decision to buy a product. The storage of meat results in constant col- our changes. Differences can be found in all colour parameters, especially chromatic ones, such as redness (a*) and hue angle (h°), as these changes are significantly correlated with a number of quality traits. Colour change can be determined not only by evaluating changes in colour parameters, but also by establishing the change in absorbance of specific wavelengths of light. The aim of this study was to compare the usefulness of these two methods of determining colour change: parameters measured on the CIELAB and CIELCh scales and colour change (%CC) determined based on the absorbance of selected wavelengths of light, i.e. 505, 540, 560, 580 and 630 nm. In this paper, we analysed two methods of measuring colour change in terms of their relevance for meat quality assessment. METHODS: The study involved 150 samples of the longissimus lumborum muscle collected from 150 carcasses of pigs slaughtered on an industrial line, weighing 65-107 kg, with an average carcass weight of 86.1 kg. Meat sensory analysis (colour, wateriness, firmness), physicochemical assessment (colour, WHC, pH48) and proximate analysis (moisture, total protein, fat, ash) were carried out. The methods included the determination of (I) changes in colour parameters measured on the CIELAB and CIELCh scales, and (II) colour change (%CC) based on the absorbance of selected wavelengths: 505, 540, 560, 580 and 630 nm. Chromatic absorbance values of a wavelength of 525 nm (A525p) and the relative content of Mb, MbO2 and MetMb were calculated according to the method proposed by Krzywicki (1979). RESULTS: Basic chemical composition - with few exceptions - was not significantly correlated with differenc- es in the values of colour parameters (ΔL*, ?a*, ?b*, ΔC*, Δh°) and colour change (%CC). With an increase in scores in the sensory evaluation of colour, wateriness, and firmness, and an increase in WHC and pH48, the differences in lightness (ΔL*) significantly increased and differences in chromatic value (?a*, ?b*, ΔC*, Δh°) and %CC decreased, for all tested combinations of wavelengths. The highest correlation coefficients were observed for ?a* and Δh° and %CC540/630 and %CC580/630, with colour change (%CC540/630 and %CC580/630) showing a stronger correlation with the tested meat quality traits than the differences in redness (?a*) and hue angle (Δh°). We found a very strong correlation between changes in the relative levels of MetMb (ΔMetMb) and colour change (%CC) based on the absorbance of wavelengths of 540 and 505 nm, and 580 and 505 nm (r = 0.950*** and r = 0.967***, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The determination of colour change based on the absorbance of two combinations of wave- lengths, i.e. (I) 540 and 630, and (II) 580 nm and 630 nm, is more useful in the assessment of pork quality than changes in two most relevant parameters of the CIELAB and CIELCh scales, i.e. redness (Δa*) and hue angle (Δh°). Moreover, the determination of absorbance of a wavelength of 630 nm was more useful for determin- ing colour change (%CC) than 505 nm. Colour change (%CC) based on the absorbance of wavelengths of 540 and 505 nm and 580 and 505 nm reflect the changes in the relative amounts of MetMb very well.

The effects of blast chilling on pork quality.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of blast chilling of pig carcasses on the physiochemical and sensory properties of the longissimus lumborum muscle. To this end, right half-carcasses were blast-chilled for 70min at -24°C and then for 22h and 50min at 1°C, while left half-carcasses were chilled conventionally at 1°C for 24h. At 2h and 6h post mortem, blast chilling had significantly reduced the temperature of the carcasses, as well as the rate of pH decrease and the rate of increase in EC. It had no significant effect on the ultimate pH or its range, or on EC at 24h post mortem, but it significantly lowered L*, b*, C* and drip loss compared to the conventionally chilled carcasses. Blast chilling adversely affected sensory characteristics such as tenderness and flavor. There were no significant differences between the effects of blast and conventional chilling systems on meat quality between conformation classes.

The influence of myoglobin on the colour of minced pork loin.

The influence of the total and chromatic absorbance at wavelengths of 525 nm (A525 and A525p) and 700nm (A700), and the relative content of oxymyoglobin (MbO2), metmyoglobin (MetMb) and deoxymyoglobin (Mb), on the value of the colour parameters (L*, a*, b*, C* and h°) of minced pork loin, were evaluated. Lightness (L*) depended almost entirely on variation in total absorbance at a wavelength of 525 nm. Redness (a*) depended on the forms of myoglobin and A525p, while yellowness (b*) depended mainly on the proportions of the reduced form (Mb), the oxygenated form (MbO2) and the oxidised form (MetMb). Yellowness (b*) significantly increased with a decrease in the relative amount of Mb and an increase in relative amounts of MbO2 and MetMb, although a greater impact was exerted by fluctuations in MbO2 than MetMb. Variability of chroma (C*) depended mainly on proportions of the forms of myoglobin. Hue angle (h°) depended primarily on chromatic absorbance at 525 nm (A525p).