Lean Food Research Articles

Estimating household food budget shares and Engel’s food coefficient in a lean food supply month in Ghana: a micro data analysis

Using the 2017 Ghana Living Standards Survey Round Seven data, this study used the Working-Leser linear model on demographic and household specific variables to determine the lean food season month of July household food budget share, Engel food coefficient, marginal food budget share and food expenditure elasticity. The results demonstrate that a 10% increase in monthly household income decreases the share of the monthly household food budget by -0.0117 of a percentage point on average, and ceteris paribus, and the evidence shows that the underlying household July month Engel food curve is characterized by an inverse link between household monthly food budget share and the household monthly total income. The findings statistically established that food is a necessary commodity and the food demand elasticity assessment showed that a 10% increase in household spending would increase household monthly food needs by an average of 9.8%, and ceteris paribus.

Halal Meat Exports Enhancement of Pakistan: An Intermediating Role of Global Technical Standards in Quality Function Deployment Model

A lean and sustainable food supply chain is one of the major strategies that businesses all around the world have been trying to adopt to provide the customers quality food and to remain competitive in the global market. Many industrialists, researchers, and economists have focused on food quality because of the high importance of this issue in the global meat markets context. This research was conducted to investigate the mediating role of Global Technical Standards (GTS) on Voice of Customers (VOC) and Exports Enhancement (EE). Halal meat industry and exports of Pakistan were the primary focus by using a mixed methodological approach. Initially, the quality function deployment (QFD) model was generated for the identification of exports requirements and competitive Novelty Analysis. Fourteen actors (experts) of Pakistan halal meat industry had participated in the identification of requirements and standards. Likewise, exporters from nine economies, including the United States of America, Brazil, Australia, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, India, Canada, and Pakistan, participated in Competitive Novelty Analysis. Secondly, 250 responses were generated from Pakistan’s halal meat industry on a five-point Likert scale. The findings of this study show a significant relationship between Voice of Customers (VOC) and Global Technical Standards (GTS). It was further highlighted that Global Technical Standards mediate the relationship between issues in exports and Exports Enhancement (EE) strategies.

Индивидуально-авторские особенности лексики, репрезентующей постную пищу, в произведении И. С. Шмелева «Лето Господне»

I. S. Shmelev is a well-known Russian writer, a native of the urban merchant environment, knowing the peculiarities of this environment so well and clearly conveying them in his works. Born and raised in a patriarchal family where all religious rites were sacredly observed, I. S. Shmelev could not help but absorb a reverent attitude to the Orthodox religion, which is why most of his works are imbued with a Christian worldview. We believe that the above circumstances have influenced the formation of individual authorial features of the use of lexemes of certain thematic groups in the texts of works. In this regard, the task of the proposed study is to identify the author's features of the use of lexemes calling lean food in the novel “Summer of the Lord” which in structural terms is a description of the year of an Orthodox person, thereby clearly demonstrating to the reader that Russian life and faith are inextricably linked. Upon analyzing the individual author's features of the vocabulary representing lean food in I. S. Shmelev’s work “Summer of the Lord”, we came to the following conclusions. Food and all the rituals associated with it are very instrumental in reflecting both the national and individual picture of the world. According to what kind of food a person uses, it is possible to draw conclusions about his well-being. In the novel “Summer of the Lord” the author uses lexemes related to both common forms of the Russian literary language and dialect forms to represent lean food. In addition, the author introduces lexemes that have come out of active word usage; this makes us understand that some of the realities that are familiar to a person in the time described by I. S. Shmelev are inaccessible to modern people. In order to demonstrate the ease of Great Lent, the author resorts to the use of diminutive suffixes, as well as to the use of anaphora. One of the most important features of the individual I. S. Shmelev author's picture of the world lies in the fact that the lexemes naming lean food appear in the work under consideration as a kind of reference points of time.

Comparative Conservation Strategy Efficacy for Grus japonensis and Grus americana: A Post-Policy Implementation Assessment

Southeastern Texas/northern Alberta and northeastern Japan are homes to populations of two extremely similar species of cranes with similar conservation histories. The whooping crane of North America, specifically the Aransas–Wood Buffalo (AWB) migratory flock, and the red-crowned crane of Hokkaido were both pushed to the brink of extinction with surviving populations numbering 21 and 33 individuals, respectively, in 1952. Both species have been subjects of focused rehabilitation efforts led by national governments. While both governments relied on a variety of conservation methods throughout their programs’ histories, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) focuses mainly on habitat management, while in Japan the Ministry of the Environment (MoE) and its predecessors lean most heavily on a direct population management strategy via a long-standing winter artificial feeding program. The recovery histories of these two similar species provide a unique opportunity for comparing and contrasting the relative efficacy of two primary endangered species management approaches: habitat management versus direct population management through artificial feeding. An initial review of these two case studies reveals indications that artificial feeding in periods of lean food availability resulted in much faster overall population recovery in Japan, with the red-crowned crane population expanding at a rate approximately 11% to 26% faster than the AWB whooping crane population over a 68-year period reviewed in this study. Today Japan’s red-crowned crane population is more than triple the size of North America’s AWB whooping crane population: 1,900 red-crowned cranes by 2020 according to the Red-Crowned Crane Conservancy (RCCC), versus 506 AWB whooping cranes as of 2019 per FWS. These results suggest Japanese conservationists may have uncovered a method for ensuring faster population recovery in an endangered species: sustained long-term artificial feeding during times of least forage availability. Further lessons can be drawn from how these two species respond to changes currently underway in both programs. Much remains unknown. Additional research is necessary to eliminate other variables that could explain these population growth outcomes. But an early post-policy implementation assessment points to the artificial feeding campaign in Japan as the reason for the differences in historical population recovery.

Demystifying the Dabbawallahs: India’s Lean Food Delivery Operations Explained with Operations Management Practices

Demystifying the Dabbawallahs: India’s Lean Food Delivery Operations Explained with Operations Management Practices

Applying lean thinking in the food supply chains: a case study

The purpose of the study was to examine the adoption and implementation of lean thinking in food supply chains. Since the majority of food companies are small and medium enterprises (SMEs), a lean action plan was developed taking into account the particularities of SMEs. The methodology used was a case study research of a UK tea company. An action research approach was adopted to study the lean process and diagnose the problems which occurred during lean implementation. This study developed a lean action plan with three stages: (a) planning for lean; (b) interim lean diagnosis and (c) lean operations and control. The first stage includes the following steps: find a change agent, get the knowledge, find a lever and suspend grand strategy. Interim lean diagnosis revealed issues with top management support, expert knowledge and operational easiness. The last stage, lean operations and control, includes the following steps: (i) re-define value, (ii) map process activities and value streams, (iii) detect waste, (iv) develop an ideal state of production and supply chain operations and (v) control lean operations. The potential contribution of lean food small and medium companies can be enormous given the percentage of food waste across supply chains. The contribution of this study is threefold: (a) it develops a new lean action plan for small and medium companies; (b) it sheds light on how lean thinking can be applied in the food sector and can achieve substantial waste reductions; (c) it tests a unique reflecting methodology using action case research to gather, interpret and develop reflective learning.

Managing attendance at work: the role of line managers in the UK grocery retail sector

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of line managers in managing attendance at work in the lean regime of grocery retailing. The increasing competitiveness within the sector, coupled with the sophisticated control systems in place put pressure on managers to keep labour costs low. Attendance, therefore, becomes a critical factor, particularly as staffing levels become leaner. Taking this into account, it is necessary to understand the parameters of the line managers’ role in managing attendance, especially within the lean food retail market and the antagonistic terrain of the supermarket shop floor. The paper discusses the impact of lean retailing on line managers’ authority and provides a fresh sociological analysis regarding their role in managing attendance, offering insights into managerial practices on the UK supermarket shop floor. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on qualitative research evidence from two case study grocery retail organizations in the UK. It reports on 44 semi-structured interviews and provides a multi-level analysis aiming to understand the different perspectives on the problem examined. Findings – The paper reveals the existence of a centralized absence management policy and highlights the greater involvement of line managers in this procedure. Line managers though were subjected to forces of bureaucratic control, intensification and degradation of their work. Despite having an active role within the attendance management process and high responsibility for the implementation of rules and procedures handed down by head office, they had limited authority over the process. Line managers perceived the latter as routine and a box-ticking exercise and had developed coping tactics to deal with the control from above. Originality/value – This paper provides practical and theoretical considerations over the role of line management in the labour process, investigating their role in managing attendance at work within the lean terrain of food retailing. This research contributes to the ongoing academic discussions related to the devolvement of HR responsibilities to the line, highlighting the great involvement of line managers in the absence policy. It also provides a sociological perspective over line managers’ authority and discretion in managing attendance, revealing that they were subjected to direct and bureaucratic control within their role in attendance management. However, the research reveals that line managers were not passive in the face of direct control from above and had developed tactics to cope with the monotony and the repetition of this process, attempting to somehow escape the top-down control they were subjected to.

A significant dietary change after breast cancer diagnosis: Early results of a United Kingdom prospective multicenter study.

1588 Background: DietCompLyf, a prospective United Kingdom study, is investigating the effects of phytoestrogens and other lifestyle factors on survival in patients with invasive breast cancer. We present here a comparison of pre- and post-diagnostic dietary intake and supplement use reported by 1760 participants. Methods: Twosemi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires were administered to participants at study entry (approximately one year after diagnosis) one representing usual diet before diagnosis and the other, after diagnosis until study recruitment. Consumption of food groups and daily intake of macro- and micro-nutrients derived by nutritional software program analysis was evaluated. Supplement use was also examined. Results: Consumption of fruit and vegetables, lean protein sources, tea, wholegrain foods and nuts was significantly increased post-diagnosis (p < 0.05). Concurrently, intake of red meat, refined grain products, high-fat and high-sugar foods, coffee and some alcoholic drinks was s...

Lean Food Processing

Lean Food Processing

Survival strategies to overcome inaagosto and nordeste in two coastal communities in Batangas and Mindoro, the Philippines

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to describe how the people in two coastal communities in Batangas and Mindoro respond to the effects of these seasonal changes on their lives and livelihood.Design/methodology/approachThe study makes use of findings from a previous study conducted by the author in Batangas and from primary data gathered in Mindoro through interviews with key informants.FindingsThe study shows that people in the two communities visited viewed the monsoon rains and typhoons brought about by seasonal changes as being part of the daily life challenges they had to face. The rainy season was also the lean food season which they called inaagosto in Batangas and nordeste in Mindoro. Hence, their responses were mostly at the individual or household level, rarely taking advantage of community programs and projects that could help them survive the lean food season. Although divided by a body of water, the people in Batangas and Mindoro employed very similar strategies. These strategies included negotiating for entitlements, engaging in extra‐income‐earning activities, and reallocating scarce food resources in the home. They differed, however, in ways in which they had “reinvented” food during the lean season. In both communities, coping was seen to be gendered.Practical implicationsThe paper provides an understanding of how people respond to hazards that accompany the lean season and how best to approach these responses to achieve optimum results that would truly address the challenges faced by affected communities.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the development of more appropriate programmes and projects that would alleviate the effects of inaagosto and nordeste.

Cognitive-motivational determinants of fat food consumption in overweight and obese youngsters: The implicit association between fat food and arousal

Cognitive-motivational accounts of fat food intake propose an association between fat food and action dispositions, which are according to the biphasic emotion theory of Lang [(1995). The emotion probe. Studies of motivation and attention. American Psychologist, 50, 372–385; Lang, P.J., Bradley, M.M., & Cuthbert, M.M. (1997). Motivated attention: Affect, activation and action. In P.J. Lang, R.F. Simons & M.T. Balaban (Eds.). Attention and orienting: Sensory and motivational processes (pp. 97–134). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.] characterized by high levels of arousal. In two experiments, this association was investigated in lean and overweight youngsters. In the first experiment, 29 overweight and 29 lean youngsters conducted two Implicit Association Tasks (IAT; Greenwald, A.G., McGhee, D.E., & Schwartz, J.L. (1998). Measuring individual differences in implicit cognition: The implicit association test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1464–1480.). In a positive arousal IAT, implicit associations between fat vs. lean food, and high and low arousal words with a positive valence were assessed. In a negative arousal IAT, high and low arousal words with a negative valence were used. A second experiment was conducted to replicate Experiment 1 in 29 youngsters with severe obesity and 29 lean peers. The results revealed strong implicit associations between fat food and arousal in both the overweight and the control group. No differences were found between the groups, nor between the positive and the negative arousal task. These results are related to cognitive-motivational theories of fat food intake.

Attacks on the endangered Attwater's Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri) by black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) infected with an avian blood parasite

With fewer than 50 birds remaining in the wild, Attwater's Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri) is critically endangered. Individuals of this species on the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado Co., TX, have been attacked in successive winters, 2005-2006, by the blood-feeding black fly Cnephia ornithophilia. Attwater's Prairie-Chicken is a previously unreported host for Cnephia ornithophilia. Molecular screening indicated that about 15% of 13 blood-fed flies sampled from captured Attwater's Prairie-Chickens carried a parasite of the genus Leucocytozoon that can cause a debilitating avian malaria-like disease. If blood feeding or transmission of the disease agent becomes a threat to the birds, particularly in years of lean food supply or harsh weather, management of Cnephia ornithophilia should be considered.

Selection for lean growth and food intake leads to correlated changes in innate immune traits in Large White pigs

Genetic selection is well established as a means of improving productivity in pigs, but the effects of continued selection for increased performance on immunity are not well understood, nor are genetic relationships between performance and immunity. This study compared differences in the levels of a range of immune traits between lines of Large White pigs divergently selected for a number of productivity traits. Selection lines compared were highv. low lean growth under restricted feeding (31 high linev. 10 controlv. 38 low line pigs), high v. low lean growth underad libitumfeeding (18 high line v. 10 controlv. 19 low line pigs), and highv. low food intake (24 high linev. 26 low line pigs). Immune traits measured were total white blood cell numbers (WBC), and the numbers of leukocyte subsets: neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, lymphocytes, CD4+cells, CD8α+cells, B cells, γδ T cells and CD11R1+Natural killer (NK) cells. CD4+, γδ T cells and CD11R1+cells were subdivided into subpopulations that were positive or negative for the CD8α marker, and conventional CD8αhigh+cytotoxic T cells were also determined. Pigs were tested underad libitumfeeding conditions from 14 to 24 weeks, and immune traits were assessed at ages 18 and 24 weeks. Line differences were estimated using residual maximum likelihood techniques. Consistent differences in immune trait levels were evident between pigs previously selected for high and low lean growth under restricted feeding: at age 24 weeks, high line pigs had higher basal levels of WBC (39·6v. 27·8×106cells per ml, s.e.d. 2·09, for highv. low line pigs) mainly explained by higher levels of lymphocytes (25·5v. 17·3×106cells per ml, s.e.d. 1·54, for highv. low line pigs) with increased numbers of CD8α+cells (8·19v. 5·15×106cells per ml, s.e.d. 0·14) and CD11R1+cells (5·23v. 2·46×106cells per ml, s.e.d. 0·43), predominantly the CD11R1+CD8α?subpopulation ((3·20v. 1·64×106cells per ml, s.e.d. 0·11). High line pigs also had increased numbers of monocytes (2·64v. 1·83×106cells per ml, s.e.d. 0·35). Similar results were obtained at age 18 weeks. There were no consistent differences between divergent lines in pigs selected for lean growth underad libitumfeeding or food intake. This is the first report to demonstrate that selection for some aspects of performance can influence WBC and leukocyte subset numbers in pigs.

Development of a laboratory baking test for Uruguayan French style hearth bread using Canadian wheat flour

Straight grade Canadian wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) flours milled from a high and medium protein Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat, a commercial sample of Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) wheat and a recently released CPSR variety, 5700PR, were used to develop and assess the impact of absorption, fermentation time and flour type on a laboratory-scale Uruguayan French style hearth bread baking procedure. The lean formula dough, containing flour, yeast, ascorbic acid, malt, yeast food and optimum water absorption as determined by dough feel, was mixed to peak development in a GRL 1000 mixer, fermented, and divided into multiple (175-g) pieces. Dough pieces were sheeted and moulded using a commercial hearth bread moulder, proofed, cut (diagonal top surface cut) and baked in a modified National laboratory oven equipped with steam. Optimum dough absorption for all four flours was 62% in spite of a wide range in farinograph absorption. Optimum fermentation time was 75 min based on moulded dough length, bread volume and form, cut width and crumb texture and colour. The lower protein CWRS and the CPSR variety, PR5700, showed superior overall performance relative to the other wheat flours. The performance of the commercial CPSR flour was clearly inferior to all other wheat flours. Excellent reproducibility was obtained for all measured parameters allowing good discrimination among samples. This baking procedure should prove useful in assessing the performance of Canadian wheat classes and varieties for Uruguay and other South American markets where similar bread is popular. Key words: Triticum aestivum L., wheat, baking, hearth bread, Uruguayan bread, Canadian wheat, Canada Western Red Spring, Canada Prairie Spring Red

Serum urea concentration as a predictor of dietary lysine requirement in selected lines of pigs.

Serum urea concentrations were measured in Large White pigs from lines divergently selected for components of efficient lean growth rate and performance tested over three 14-d test periods starting at 30, 50, and 75 kg. Two methods of performance testing were used. Phase-fed pigs were fed to appetite isoenergetic diets differing in total lysine:energy ratio (0.58, 0.69, 0.81, 0.91, 1.01, 1.12, and 1.23 g/MJ of digestible energy), whereas diet-choice pigs were offered a choice of the 0.69 and 1.12 lysine:energy diets. Between test periods, all animals were fed one diet: 0.91 g of lysine/MJ of digestible energy. The study consisted of 230 boars and gilts with 150 pigs performance tested on phase-feeding and 80 pigs on diet-choice. The line selected for high lean food conversion had lower urea concentrations on each diet than the line selected for high lean growth rate, despite similar predicted lysine balances. Efficiency of lean growth rather than the rate of lean growth may be a better selection strategy in the context of nitrogen excretion. Urea concentrations at the end of each test period were correlated with lysine intake (0.33, 0.48 and 0.65; standard error, 0.08) and predicted lysine balance (0.39,0.44, and 0.64), but were uncorrelated with predicted lysine for protein deposition (0.01, 0.08, and 0.08) and maintenance. Urea concentration at the end of a test period was not a useful predictor of protein deposition, even after accounting for pretest variation in urea concentration and food intake during test. The expected response pattern of serum urea concentration to diets differing in total lysine:energy would be nonlinear, with the point of inflection occurring at the required dietary total lysine:energy for each genotype. However, there was no evidence of such an inflection point such that the prediction of lysine requirement from urea concentration was not possible for the selection lines in the study.

Dietary patterns predict the development of overweight in women: The Framingham Nutrition Studies

Objective To investigate relationships between dietary patterns and the development of overweight. Design Longitudinal analyses during 12 years of follow-up involved the identification of dietary patterns at baseline using cluster analysis applied to a 145-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Subjects/setting 737 non-overweight women in the Framingham Offspring/Spouse cohort (mean age, 45 years). Main Outcome Measure Development of overweight (BMI≥25) at follow-up. Statistical Analyses Relative risks were calculated using Proc Genmod and multivariate models comprehensively considered potential confounders. Results Five dietary patterns were identified among the cohort at baseline: Heart Healthy, Light Eating, Wine and Moderate Eating, High Fat, and Empty Calorie. Over 12 years, the crude risk of becoming overweight was 29% overall, ranging from 22% of women in the Wine and Moderate Eating cluster to 41% of women in the Empty Calorie cluster. Compared with women who ate a lower-fat, nutritionally varied Heart Healthy diet, women who ate an Empty Calorie diet that was rich in sweets and fats with fewer servings of nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, and lean food choices were at higher risk for developing overweight [RR 1.4, 95% CI (0.9, 2.2)] after adjusting for age, smoking status, physical activity, menopausal status, energy intake, intentional dieting, and usual weight pattern. Women who ate an Empty Calorie dietary pattern were also younger and were more likely to smoke. Conclusions Behavioral interventions for weight management and obesity prevention may be enhanced by creatively targeting differences in eating patterns, dietary quality, and other lifestyle behaviors of distinct subgroups of the population. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002;102:1240-1246.

California Project LEAN's Food on the Run Program: An Evaluation of a High School-Based Student Advocacy Nutrition and Physical Activity Program

California Project LEAN's Food on the Run Program: An Evaluation of a High School-Based Student Advocacy Nutrition and Physical Activity Program

Genetic and nutritional effects on lactational performance of gilts selected for components of efficient lean growth

AbstractLactational performance was measured in Large White gilts from lines that had been divergently selected over seven generations for daily food intake (DFI), lean food conversion ratio (LFC), lean growth rate with ad-libitum (LGA) or restricted (LGS) feeding during performance test. Control line gilts were included in the study. During the lactation period of 21 days, gilts were given to appetite five isoenergetic diets differing in ileal digestible lysine: energy (0·40, 0·58, 0·76, 0·94 and 1·12 g/MJ digestible energy). The study consisted of 223 gilts with a similar number of animals in each selection line.Live-weight loss was greater in the low LFC and LGA lines than in the high lines and food intake was significantly lower in the low LGA line than in the high line. Litter-weight gain of the low LFC and high LGA lines were greater than in the complementary selection lines. Prediction equations for nutrient utilization were used to express the effect of diet and selection line in terms of energy and protein inputs and outputs. Selection on DFI or LGS resulted in gilts that did not mobilize lipid during lactation as sufficient energy for milk and maintenance was provided by dietary intake. In contrast, there was insufficient dietary energy with selection on LFC or on low LGA so lipid mobilization was required to achieve energy balance. The energy required to excrete excess protein and energy from lipid mobilization increased as the dietary lysine energy ratio increased, but there were no other dietary effects on energy and protein utilization. Genotype with nutrition interactions were detected for energy intake and lipid mobilization, which were due to the lines selected for low DFI and LGA. The general absence of genotype with nutrition interactions for lactational performance in gilts selected for components of efficient lean growth and the lack of significant dietary effects on energy utilization indicated that the consequences of changing nutritional inputs will be broadly similar for genotypes within the set of genotypes studied. Selection strategies which result in reduced food intake during lactation should be avoided if lipid mobilization is then required to attain energy balance and there are resultant negative effects on subsequent reproductive performance.

Peri-partum posture and behaviour of gilts and the location of their piglets in lines selected for components of efficient lean growth

Peri-partum posture and behaviour of gilts from lines selected for different components of efficient lean growth were studied to determine if behavioural changes may have been associated with the observed responses in reproductive performance. The proportions of time that gilts expressed defined posture and behaviour traits and the locations of their piglets were determined from video recordings of observations made at 5 min intervals in the period extending from 2 h pre-farrowing to 2 h post-farrowing. The 137 gilts studied were from four pairs of Large White lines which had been divergently (high and low) selected for either daily food intake (DFI), lean food conversion efficiency (LFC), lean growth rate on ad libitum feeding (LGA) or lean growth rate on a restricted feeding scale (LGS). Almost all the significant ( P<05) changes occurred in the LGS pair of lines. In the pre-farrowing period, relative to the low LGS gilts, high LGS gilts spent a higher proportion of their time lying on their sides (0.92 versus 0.69), and less time in the upright postures of standing, sitting or lying on their bellies (0.08 versus 0.33) and engaging in nesting behaviour (0.02 versus 0.10). During farrowing, high LGS gilts again lay on their sides more often than low LGS gilts (0.96 versus 0.80) and were upright less often (0.04 versus 0.20). High LGS gilts changed posture less often than low LGS gilts (0.05 versus 0.31) but were more often alert (0.79 versus 0.61). During farrowing, high LGS piglets were seen less often at their mother’s head, back and vulva or at the creep than low LGS piglets (0.06 versus 0.15). Post-farrowing, there were no significant differences between the lines, almost all gilts lying on their sides with their piglets at the udder. Divergent selection for components of efficient lean growth rate on ad libitum feeding was not associated with consistent responses in gilt posture and behaviour or in piglet location. Selection for high lean growth on restricted feeding had effects on gilt posture and behaviour which may have been beneficial to her welfare and that of her piglets.

Sensitivity of pig genotypes to short-term manipulation of plasma fatty acids by feeding linseed

The sensitivity of pigs selected for high daily food intake (DFI), low lean food conversion (LFC) and high lean growth rate (LGS) to dietary change of plasma fatty acids was assessed. The difference between the two diets was effectively a substitution of palmitic (C16:0), oleic (C18:1 n-9) and linoleic (C18:2 n-6) with linolenic (C18:3 n-3) fatty acids. Fatty acid compositions of plasma free fatty acids, neutral lipids and phospholipids were measured in 90 kg animals fed a base or high linolenic (C18:3 n-3) fatty acid diet, based on whole linseed, for four days. There were 24 animals from each selection line and 24 animals from an unselected control line, with boars and gilts represented equally in each line. Half of the selection line animals were fed the base diet and half were fed the high C18:3 diet, but all control animals were fed the base diet. Prior to slaughter, animals were fasted for 18 h. The fatty acids primarily affected by dietary change were C18:3 n-3 and its products, C20:5 n-3 (EPA) and C22:6 n-3 (DHA). The sensitivity of a selection line to dietary change was parameterised by the relative shift in fatty acid composition through changing from the base diet to the high C18:3 diet. In neutral lipids, the sensitivities of C18:3 n-3 in the DFI and LFC lines were similar but greater than in the LGS line (3.0 v. 1.8, S.E.D. 0.15), while, for phospholipid and free fatty acids, the sensitivity of the DFI line was greater than in the LFC and LGS lines (2.3 v. 1.8 and 2.0 v. 1.4, respectively). For C20:5 n-3 and C22:6 n-3, the DFI and LFC lines were more sensitive to dietary change than the LGS line (total lipid : 2.3 v. 1.9 and 1.5 v. 1.2). In general, the DFI line was most sensitive to dietary change and the LGS line was the least sensitive. The difference in sensitivities of the lipid classes to the high C18:3 diet between the selection lines could result from differences in body fat content and may explain the general lack of genotype with nutrition interactions in post-1990 genotypes in comparison with fatter circa-1970 genotypes.