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Innovative Production Strategies for High-Quality, Traditional Pig Products—2nd Edition
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Innovative Production Strategies for High-Quality, Traditional Pig Products—2nd Edition

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Pigs".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2024) | Viewed by 11448

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Giovanna Martelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, BO, Italy
Interests: animal welfare; pig production; meat quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Eleonora Nannoni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, BO, Italy
Interests: animal welfare; pig production; meat quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Pork production, in its broadest meaning, ranging from the choice of the genetic type of animals to the qualitative characteristics of the final product, will face highly demanding challenges in the very near future.

The European citizens' initiative, "End the cage age", is an unequivocal demonstration of consumers' increased sensitivity towards animal welfare issues. Significant legislative changes are expected shortly in this direction. At the same time, the European Green Deal requires a substantial review of the traditional approach to pig farming to direct it towards ever higher levels of sustainability. This evolution will not only concern Europe but will affect all nations.

The production of typical, high-quality, pork-based products (e.g., PDO and PGI products) must be able to quickly and efficiently incorporate these changes to avoid being penalized, considering the solid ethical content that consumers attribute to food products of excellence.

The meat used for producing these high-quality delicacies needs to be suitable for seasoning and dry-curing, and these characteristics are the result of complex interactions between the animal (breed, genotype, rearing condition, feeding regime, age, weight at slaughter, etc.) and the environment, without disregarding the importance of ethical attributes such as animal welfare and environmental impacts.

More specifically, this Special Issue focuses on all the innovative (or alternative) production strategies for pigs intended for high-quality, typical productions (in terms of the higher sustainability of the whole production chain, including social implications, improvements to animal welfare, innovative feeding and farming techniques, reductions in environmental impact, reductions in drugs use, the use of new additives, improvements in meat and fat quality, etc.), with special emphasis on PDOs, PGIs, and other recognized production schemes, and it is aimed at providing new insights for a wide range of stakeholders from different countries.

Prof. Dr. Giovanna Martelli
Dr. Eleonora Nannoni
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pig
  • traditional products
  • geographical indication
  • meat quality
  • fat quality
  • animal welfare
  • feeding
  • sustainability
  • pig farming
  • pig breeding

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 586 KiB  
Article
Use of Lupinus albus as a Local Protein Source in the Production of High-Quality Iberian Pig Products
by Javier García-Gudiño, Montaña López-Parra, Francisco Ignacio Hernández-García, Carmen Barraso, Mercedes Izquierdo, María José Lozano and Javier Matías
Animals 2024, 14(21), 3084; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14213084 - 25 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1006
Abstract
The replacement of soybean meal with sweet white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) seeds was investigated in the diets of Iberian pigs during the growing and fattening phases, evaluating its effects on growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality. Iberian pigs (n = [...] Read more.
The replacement of soybean meal with sweet white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) seeds was investigated in the diets of Iberian pigs during the growing and fattening phases, evaluating its effects on growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality. Iberian pigs (n = 50) were divided into two dietary groups (n = 25 per group), receiving either a lupin-based concentrate or a soybean meal-based concentrate. The data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), with a significance level of p < 0.05. The results showed that lupin substitution had no adverse effect on body weight, average daily gain, or carcass characteristics. No significant differences were observed in meat quality parameters such as pH, colour, and texture. However, significantly (p = 0.007) lower levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA) content were found in the intramuscular fat of pre-finishing (primor) pigs fed lupin-based diets. In addition, these pigs had lower plasma triglyceride levels at the end of the growing phase. Overall, the results suggest that sweet white lupin is a viable alternative protein source in Iberian pig production, offering potential health benefits in line with consumer preferences for sustainably produced, healthier meat products, without compromising production efficiency or product quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Production Strategies for High-Quality, Traditional Pig Products—2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 1168 KiB  
Article
A Preliminary Evaluation of Sex and Dietary Field Pea Effects on Sensory Characteristics of Dry-Cured Loins
by Immaculada Argemí-Armengol, Javier Álvarez-Rodríguez, Marc Tor, Laura Salada, Ana Leite, Lia Vasconcelos, Alfredo Teixeira and Sandra Sofia Quinteiro Rodrigues
Animals 2024, 14(5), 739; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14050739 - 27 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1710
Abstract
Two of the main issues related to cured meat products are castration to avoid boar taint and the hefty reliance on soybean meal to feed pigs. However, data on the effects of immunocastration in pigs and alternative crop protein feeds on the sensory [...] Read more.
Two of the main issues related to cured meat products are castration to avoid boar taint and the hefty reliance on soybean meal to feed pigs. However, data on the effects of immunocastration in pigs and alternative crop protein feeds on the sensory traits and consumers’ acceptance of dry-cured loin are still limited. A preliminary study was conducted on the effect of sex type (surgical castrated male pigs and immunocastrated male and female pigs, at approximately 140 kg in weight and 7 months of age) and animal diet (pea vs. soya) on dry-cured loins. The study involved a sensory evaluation of six treatments, with a 3 × 2 factorial design, conducted by trained panellists and untrained consumers in Spain (n = 126) and Portugal (n = 80). The consumers were also checked for their skatole sensitivity using a pure substance. The results showed that the pea-based diet was significantly different (p < 0.001) from the soy-based diet, as determined by a trained panel of surgically castrated male pigs, although the immunocastration treatments were not split. Dry-cured loin from immunocastrated male pigs fed with peas was considered tenderer and juicier (p < 0.05) than those fed soya-based diets. The untrained consumer panel scored higher on the sensory traits (flavour, juiciness, and overall liking) from the loin samples of surgically castrated male pigs fed a pea diet. All consumers scored similarly in boar taint detection. This study demonstrates the applicability of the pea-based diet for the feeding of pigs destined for cured meat and highlights immunocastration as a tool that does not compromise the skatole detection score. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Production Strategies for High-Quality, Traditional Pig Products—2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 513 KiB  
Article
Effects of Animal Diet and Processing Methods on the Quality Traits of Dry-Cured Ham Produced from Turopolje Pigs
by Danijel Karolyi, Martin Škrlep, Nives Marušić Radovčić, Zoran Luković, Dubravko Škorput, Krešimir Salajpal, Kristina Kljak and Marjeta Čandek-Potokar
Animals 2024, 14(2), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14020286 - 17 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1469
Abstract
The Turopolje pig (TP) is a local Croatian pig breed that almost became extinct in the second half of the 20th century. Today, the TP is still endangered, and a new conservation strategy based on products with higher added value is needed to [...] Read more.
The Turopolje pig (TP) is a local Croatian pig breed that almost became extinct in the second half of the 20th century. Today, the TP is still endangered, and a new conservation strategy based on products with higher added value is needed to preserve the breed. There is little information on the quality of TP meat products such as smoked and dry-cured ham, including the impact of natural feeds or processing innovations such as smoke reduction. This study, therefore, investigated the effects of the animal’s diet (either conventionally fed or acorn-supplemented) and the processing method (standard or lightly smoked) on the quality traits of dry-cured TP ham. Twenty hams, evenly distributed among the treatments, were processed for 15 months and then analysed for physicochemical and textural traits, volatiles and sensory profile. The hams from acorn-supplemented pigs lost less weight during processing (p ≤ 0.05). Otherwise, the diet had no significant effect on most examined ham traits. The exceptions were protein content and the texture parameter hardness, which decreased (p ≤ 0.05), and the degree of proteolysis and colour parameters, which increased (p ≤ 0.05) as a result of acorn supplementation. However, these effects were generally small and varied between the inner (m. biceps femoris) and outer (m. semimembranosus) muscles. Furthermore, acorn supplementation was associated with less typical ham odour and lower sensory scores for sweetness and colour uniformity (p ≤ 0.05). The smoke reduction had no effect on the physicochemical and colour properties but resulted in a significant reduction (p ≤ 0.05) in the volatile phenolic compounds and an improved texture to the hams. This was reflected both in reduced (p ≤ 0.05) hardness, identified in the instrumental analysis, and in an increased (p ≤ 0.05) softness, solubility and moistness, identified in the sensory evaluation. To summarize, the quality of the TP ham under the conditions studied was only slightly affected by acorn supplementation, whereas reduced smoking had a more significant effect, which was mainly reflected in an improved texture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Production Strategies for High-Quality, Traditional Pig Products—2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 310 KiB  
Article
Effects of Lavender Essential Oil Inhalation on the Welfare and Meat Quality of Fattening Heavy Pigs Intended for Parma Ham Production
by Eleonora Nannoni, Giovanna Martelli, Maurizio Scozzoli, Simona Belperio, Giovanni Buonaiuto, Niccolò Ian Vannetti, Eleonora Truzzi, Enrico Rossi, Stefania Benvenuti and Luca Sardi
Animals 2023, 13(18), 2967; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13182967 - 20 Sep 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2360
Abstract
We assessed the effects of inhalation administration of lavender essential oil (LEO) either once (L1) or twice (L2) a day on animal welfare indicators, carcass and meat quality of Italian heavy pigs. Pigs (n = 108) were allotted to three experimental groups [...] Read more.
We assessed the effects of inhalation administration of lavender essential oil (LEO) either once (L1) or twice (L2) a day on animal welfare indicators, carcass and meat quality of Italian heavy pigs. Pigs (n = 108) were allotted to three experimental groups (control -C-, L1 and L2) and lavender was administered, via a vaporizer device, to the treated groups during the entire fattening–finishing period (79–160 kg BW). Tail lesion severity was reduced in L1 at the end of the trial compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). Body lesion counts, however, were higher in L2 than in C (p < 0.05), resulting in a more severe overall damage classification (p < 0.01). At slaughter, no differences were observed in carcass traits or blood stress indicators, only minor differences were observed in meat quality, and no LEO residual was found in fat or lean tissues, highlighting the preserved suitability of thighs for the dry curing process. While it was not possible to conclude on the ability to improve animal welfare of vaporized LEO in this production phase, the absence of adverse effects on meat quality and the discrepancies observed regarding the body lesions in L1 and L2 make further studies on behavioral aspects and the method of administration (route, frequency) of the product desirable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Production Strategies for High-Quality, Traditional Pig Products—2nd Edition)
19 pages, 392 KiB  
Article
Outdoor Finishing of Intact Male Portuguese Alentejano Pigs on a Sustainable High-Fiber Diet: Impacts on Blood, Growth, Carcass, Meat Quality and Boar Taint Compounds
by José Manuel Martins, Ricardo Varino, Rui Charneca, André Albuquerque, Nicolás Garrido, José Neves, Amadeu Freitas, Filipa Costa, Carla Marmelo, Amélia Ramos and Luísa Martin
Animals 2023, 13(13), 2221; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13132221 - 6 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2155
Abstract
This trial evaluated the effect of sex on the blood, growth, carcass, meat quality, and boar taint compounds in male Alentejano (AL) pigs (n = 30). From ~40 to 130 kg LW, castrated (C) and intact pigs (I and IExp groups) were [...] Read more.
This trial evaluated the effect of sex on the blood, growth, carcass, meat quality, and boar taint compounds in male Alentejano (AL) pigs (n = 30). From ~40 to 130 kg LW, castrated (C) and intact pigs (I and IExp groups) were fed commercial diets ad libitum. Between ~130 and 160 kg (slaughter), C and I pigs continued on commercial diets, while IExp were fed an experimental diet containing locally produced pulses and by-products aimed at reducing boar taint. At ~160 kg, blood urea levels were higher in IExp than C pigs, triacylglycerols were lower in both intact groups, and cortisol was lower in IExp. IExp pigs exhibited faster growth, improved feed conversion ratio, carcass higher commercial yield and leaner meat than C pigs. The loin intramuscular fat in intact pigs was lower, less saturated and more polyunsaturated, while total collagen was higher. Fat androstenone content was higher in intact pigs and skatole content was similar across treatments, although they were below threshold values for consumer detection. Finally, although boar taint compounds were low in intact AL pigs raised outdoors, adding pulses and by-products to the experimental diet did not result in a reduction in fat skatole content compared to pigs fed the commercial diet. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Production Strategies for High-Quality, Traditional Pig Products—2nd Edition)
11 pages, 569 KiB  
Article
RNA-Seq Study on the Longissimus thoracis Muscle of Italian Large White Pigs Fed Extruded Linseed with or without Antioxidants and Polyphenols
by Jacopo Vegni, Ying Sun, Stefan E. Seemann, Martina Zappaterra, Roberta Davoli, Stefania Dall’Olio, Jan Gorodkin and Paolo Zambonelli
Animals 2023, 13(7), 1187; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13071187 - 28 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1778
Abstract
The addition of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) to the swine diet increases their content in muscle cells, and the additional supplementation of antioxidants promotes their oxidative stability. However, to date, the functionality of these components within muscle tissue [...] Read more.
The addition of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) to the swine diet increases their content in muscle cells, and the additional supplementation of antioxidants promotes their oxidative stability. However, to date, the functionality of these components within muscle tissue is not well understood. Using a published RNA-seq dataset and a selective workflow, the study aimed to find the differences in gene expression and investigate how differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were implicated in the cellular composition and metabolism of muscle tissue of 48 Italian Large White pigs under different dietary conditions. A functional enrichment analysis of DEGs, using Cytoscape, revealed that the diet enriched with extruded linseed and supplemented with vitamin E and selenium promoted a more rapid and massive immune system response because the overall function of muscle tissue was improved, while those enriched with extruded linseed and supplemented with grape skin and oregano extracts promoted the presence and oxidative stability of n-3 PUFAs, increasing the anti-inflammatory potential of the muscular tissue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Production Strategies for High-Quality, Traditional Pig Products—2nd Edition)
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