Alternative Feeding Resources of Mediterranean Origin to Improve Lamb Meat and Pork Quality

Abstract

The general objective of this doctoral research was to determine the effects of alternative feeding resources, which are of Mediterranean origin used in lamb and pig production, on meat quality. In the first and second experiments, the lambs were grouped into three to receive different dietary treatments: a barley-based concentrate diet, or two different levels of dried citrus pulp (24% or 35%) to replace barley in concentrate. The meat were stored aerobically for six days at refrigerated temperature, afterwards the colour stability and lipid oxidation (first experiment), and microbial spoilage (second experiment) were evaluated in the muscle longissimus dorsi. Dried citrus pulp strongly reduced meat lipid oxidation, while did not exert effects on colour stability and on microbial growth in meat over storage duration. In the third experiment, the pigs were grouped under dietary treatments concentrate-based finishing diet or two levels of carob pulp (8% and 15%) used to replace concentrate. The lipid oxidative stability and lipid composition were studied in the longissimus thoracis et lumborum. The use of carob pulp as concentrate replacer did not improve the lipid oxidative stability of pork but increased the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in meat as compared to concentrate fed pig meat. The findings demonstrate that the dietary citrus pulp or carob pulp could be potentially used as alternative feeds to obtain quality meat. Specifically, the presence of citrus pulp in lamb diets resulted in meat of higher resistance to lipid oxidation, while the inclusion of carob pulp improved the healthy fatty acid contents in pork that is increased in polyunsaturated fatty acids and decreased saturated fatty acids.