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In recent years glycerine has come to be regarded as a new and cheap source of energy for animal feed but the effect of feeding glycerine up to heavy slaughter weight as Iberian pigs, which are usually slaughtered at 160 kg has not been studied. Given the numerous studies that have demonstrated the importance of antemortem factors, such as feeding, gender, slaughter weight and breed, on carcass and meat quality, it was of interest to study the effect of crude glycerine on the Iberian pig. A total of ninety (45 castrated males and 45 gilts) Iberian × Duroc pigs were used in this study. During the finishing period (95–160 kg body weight, 74 days) animals received conventional feed (control G0) or the same feed plus 5% (G5) or 10% (G10) of crude glycerine to partially replace wheat.
In general, neither the diet nor gender affected ultrasound, carcass or meat quality parameters. The G10 had lower values of cooking loss and redness than the G5 and G0 groups. The fatty acids, C10:0, C12:0 and C18:3, in intramuscular fat were lower in both glycerine groups. Polyunsaturated fatty acids and 18:2 decreased and C20:0 increased at the subcutaneous fat of G10 animals. Castrated males produced carcasses with higher backfat thickness and fat content. Castrated males had a higher SFA content in subcutaneous fat than females (P < 0.001).
In conclusion, carcass and meat quality from Iberian × Duroc cross pigs was not affected by the inclusion of crude glycerine although 10% seemed to reduce cooking loss. Up to 10% crude glycerine could be used to feed Iberian pigs with no negative effects on meat quality.
Egea, M., Linares, M. B., Garrido, M. D., Madrid, J., & Hernández, F. (2016). Feeding Iberian × Duroc cross pigs with crude glycerine: Effects of diet and gender on carcass and meat quality. Meat science, 111, 78-84. doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2015.08.008
