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BACKGROUND: Meat products enriched with n-3 fatty acids are more prone to oxidation. The aim was to investigate whether supra-nutritional levels of α-tocopherol can enhance the colour and lipid oxidative stability of n-3 fatty acids enriched dry fermented sausages, frozen loins and subcutaneous fat. Pigswere fed a diet supplementedwith 18 g kg-1 fish oil and 50, 150 or 300mgkg-1 α-tocopheryl acetate. The control group received 12 g kg-1 soy oil and 150mgkg-1 α-tocopheryl acetate. RESULTS: α-Tocopherol levels of the frozen loin, dry fermented sausage and subcutaneous fat were elevated as a result of the dietary α-tocopherol supplementation. Lipid oxidation occurred to the same extend in the n-3 fatty acid enriched frozen loins when compared to the control group. In the subcutaneous fat enriched with n-3 fatty acids reduced lipid oxidation was found when comparing 50mgkg-1 versus 150 and 300mgkg-1. However, in the dry fermented sausages no such effect was observed and higher TBARS values were found in the n-3 fatty acid enriched sausages compared to the control group. Colour parameters of the loin and subcutaneous fat were not affected, whereas some significant differences in the dry fermented sausages were found. The colour stability of the frozen loins was not affected by the dietary treatments. CONCLUSION: Supra-nutritional levels of α-tocopherol maintain the oxidative stability of n-3 fatty acid enriched frozen loins and subcutaneous fat, but not of dry fermented sausages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The analysis of α-tocopherol in feed and animal-derived foods usually involves a saponification step. However, since saponification often leads to losses of α-tocopherol, a method for the determination of α-tocopherol in feed and in animal-derived foods was developed without a saponification step. RESULTS In this method, α-tocopherol is extracted with hot ethanol and the co-extracted fat is removed by centrifugation. Removal of the fat fraction is made possible by the addition of water, to achieve an ethanol:water ratio of 40:7, followed by cooling on ice before centrifugation. This procedure allows removal of the fat fraction, while α-tocopherol is retained. Matrices differing in gross composition and α-tocopherol content were analyzed: fresh pork, cooked ham, subcutaneous fat, liver, egg yolk, milk and a compound pig feed. Higher α-tocopherol concentrations were found for this novel method compared to a conventional method with saponification, particularly for subcutaneous fat ( P < 0.05). Recoveries were higher ( P < 0.05) for the novel method (82-103%), compared to the saponification method (66-90%; for subcutaneous fat < 25%). CONCLUSION Determining α-tocopherol in feed and animal-derived foods using pure ethanol without saponification results in higher extraction yields and recoveries compared to the saponification method. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]