Effects of increasing inclusion of camelina press cake in diets fed to growing-finishing pigs on pork quality

Abstract

We investigated whether increasing inclusion of camelina press cake (CPC) in pig diets would influence carcass traits, pork quality, and belly firmness. Pigs (initial weight = 35.3 ± 2.8 kg) were fed diets based on corn–soybean meal with 0, 5, 10, or 15% CPC to replace corn and soybean meal for 12 wk. There were 6 pens of 8 pigs each per dietary treatment. At 23 wk of age, gilts (n = 22), each from a different pen, were slaughtered for pork quality evaluation. Data were analyzed using the Glimmix models of SAS. Increasing dietary inclusion of CPC decreased ( P < 0.05) hot carcass weight , dressing percentage (DP), belly thickness, and backfat thickness at the 10th rib, and increased lean percentage of carcasses. Changes in chill loss percentage, 45-min and 24-h postmortem pH, water holding capacity and marbling score of pork chops, or belly firmness with increasing CPC inclusion were not detected (all P > 0.10). Increasing CPC inclusion decreased ( P < 0.05) Warner-Bratzler shear force value and objective color (a*) of pork chops quadratically. Subjective color and overall appearance scores across 7 d were less favorable ( P < 0.05) for pork chops from pigs fed increasing dietary inclusion of CPC to 15%. But, changes in shear force value, subjective color, and overall appearance scores for pork chops with dietary CPC inclusion were of small magnitude. Increasing dietary inclusion of CPC up to 15% decreased hot carcass weight, DP, and belly thickness but increased lean percentage of carcasses.