EFFECTS OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NUTRITION OF FATTENING PIGS ON THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCTS

Currently, a substantial change is obvious as far as the increased and altered demands for carcass and meat quality and new feeding strategies in pig fattening are concerned. In practical feeding, the preference of feeds rich in oil is still increasing. As a consequence, body fat is too soft and has a reduced shelf life which severely affects the quality of otherwise long-time storable raw fermented, salted, dried and frozen meat products. These effects can be reduced by restricting the content of polyenic acids and by excluding fats for a sufficiently long period before slaughter. Feeds rich in medium-chain triglycerides also prolong shelf life of the pro ducts. Vitamin E improves shelf life but not the consistency of carcass fat tissue. A further development is the current increase in the use of cereals in fattening diets instead of maniok and other substitutes. Effects will only then occur when the exchange of the feeds used thus far is accompanied by a variation in energy, protein or single fatty acids. Since recent times, many attempts are carried out to decrease dietary crude protein contents, and the use of certain protein feeds as well as of single amino acids is increased at cost of soybean meal. In order to avoid low lean meat percentages with low crude protein diets, apart from a sufficient supply of amino acids a slight reduction in energy supply has to take place. With the use of uncommon feeds rich in protein, their oil content has to be considered. An increasing number of meat producers practise extensive feeding in pig fattening. The effects expected severely depend on certain marginal conditions. With the use of suitable breeds, quite normal lean percentages will occur, intramuscular fat content and fat quality will be somewhat improved and meat tenderness will be only slightly impaired. Certain favourable effects also can be expected from supplementary feeds rich in dietary fiber.