Effects of dietary olive and linseed oil on lipid composition, meat quality, sensory characteristics and muscle structure in pigs

The aim of this study was to alter the fatty acid composition of porcine tissue by accumulating essential fatty acids without adversely affecting carcass composition, muscle structure or meat eating quality. A total of 13 female and 12 castrated Pietrain×German Landrace pigs were fed a basal concentrate diet supplemented with 5% olive oil or 5% linseed oil during the growing-finishing period. Carcass composition and meat quality were not affected by the diet. Feeding linseed oil to pigs significantly increased the relative content of linolenic acid and long chain n-3 fatty acids in lipids of muscle, backfat and heart at the expense of arachidonic acid. Oleic acid was accumulated in muscle, backfat and heart lipids by feeding olive oil. The overall flavour of combined meat/backfat samples from castrates was negatively influenced by linseed oil supplementation compared to supplementation with olive oil. The oxidative stability of muscle lipids was lower in linseed oil-fed pigs compared to olive oil fed pigs. The greater cross section areas of the longissimus muscle of females were caused by an increased diameter of red, intermediate and white fibres.