The effect of a feeding and rearing system on the physicochemical properties of pork

The quality and chemical composition of pork depends on a number of factors. This study evaluated the quality of meat from pigs kept indoors in litterless pens with and without access to an outdoor run and fed complete diets or complete diets supplemented with alfalfa green forage during the fattening period. Crossbred growing-finishing pigs female(female Polish Landrace x male Polish Large White) x male (female Pietrain x male Duroc) were divided into six experimental groups of 15 animals each. Two groups were fed complete diets with an increased metabolizable energy (ME) content. Samples of musculus longissimus lumborum were collected from pig carcasses for analyses of proximate chemical composition, physicochemical properties and sensory attributes. The correlations between selected quality attributes of m. longissimus dorsi and selected variables were evaluated by cluster analysis. The meat of all experimental pigs was characterized by very high quality, and PSE/DFD quality defects were not noted in any of the examined carcasses. The lowest dry matter content was observed in the meat of pigs fed a complete diet with the addition of alfalfa green forage and kept indoors without access to an outdoor run. Meat samples from all experimental groups received high scores in a sensory analysis, but meat from pigs that were provided access to an outdoor run and were fed a complete diet with a higher ME content was characterized by the lowest flavor and aroma desirability. The highest value of color component a* (0.05) in the CIE Lab system was observed in group 2 relative to groups 5 and 6. The results of color lightness measurements, active acidity measurements and cluster analysis indicate that the quality of meat from all experimental pigs was suitable for processing and consumption, and that the evaluated housing systems and feeding regimes can be recommended for pig farming and pork production.