Abstract
The use of low-protein (LP) feeds is a good strategy to reduce the environmental release of N compounds, but their influence on the quality of the products must be considered. This study explored the influence of LP diet and two pig breeds (BR) with different lean growth ability on the quality traits of dry-cured hams. We analysed 40 left dry-cured hams from pigs of two BR [Duroc-Danbred crosses (Danbred) and Duroc × Large White crosses (Anas)] fed either conventional (147 to 132 g/kg, crude protein) or LP diet. The LP had a crude protein content reduced by 20% with respect to the conventional. The differences in ham quality resulting from protein reduction were small, with a decrease of the protein and an increase of the lipid content of the ham slice in Anas, but not in Danbred (BR × Diet interaction; P = 0.043). Therefore, the use of LP would be feasible and sustainable, without detrimental effects on products. It was found the pig genotypes with different potentials for lean growth may affect the initial ham weight, fat cover and seasoning losses of hams, but they appear to affect little other chemical, physical and textural quality traits of the dry-cured hams.
Highlights
The use of low-protein (LP) feeds is a good strategy to reduce the environmental release of N compounds, but their influence on the quality of the products must be considered
It is generally agreed that ham quality depends on a combination of factors, including pig genotype, feeding and management practices, and curing procedures[3,4,5]
The use of low protein and low amino acid feeds (LP) has recently emerged as one of the best strategies to reduce the environmental release of N compounds from pig farms
Summary
The use of low-protein (LP) feeds is a good strategy to reduce the environmental release of N compounds, but their influence on the quality of the products must be considered. This study explored the influence of LP diet and two pig breeds (BR) with different lean growth ability on the quality traits of dry-cured hams. The use of LP would be feasible and sustainable, without detrimental effects on products It was found the pig genotypes with different potentials for lean growth may affect the initial ham weight, fat cover and seasoning losses of hams, but they appear to affect little other chemical, physical and textural quality traits of the dry-cured hams. Previous studies on the effects of pig genotype and feed composition on the quality of raw hams[8,9] have assumed the weight, back-fat cover and marbling of the raw material to be highly correlated with the final quality of the dry-cured hams[10,11]. A lean pig genotype is assumed to negatively affect the quality of dry-cured hams[6], studies investigating the relationships between the genetic origin of pigs and the qualitative attributes of dry-cured hams are still lacking
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