PSVII-4 Effect of Green Grass supplementation of swine diet on pork quality characteristics

This objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a swine feed additive (GREEN GRASS, GG Sunseo Omega 3, Seoul, South Korea) on pork meat quality attributes. Thirty-six individually fed barrows were assigned one of four dietary treatments: moderately complex diet devoid of GG (CTRL;NRC 2012); CTRL with 10% GG (GG10) , CTRL with 20% GG (GG20), or CTRL with 17% dried-distillers grains with solubles (DDGS). Following slaughter, carcass and primal weights, LM area, 10th and last-rib backfat, and belly flop distance were measured. Physicochemical measures on the LM were instrumental color (L*, a*, b*), pH, proximate composition, drip loss, and shear force. Consumer panelists (n=112) evaluated loin samples for juiciness, pork flavor, off-flavor, tenderness, and overall liking. Belly and LM sample fatty acid composition was evaluated. Data were analyzed via PROC GLIMMIX of SAS with animal as the experimental unit. Panelist was considered a random effect. Diet treatment had no effect (P > 0.05) on weights, physicochemical measures, or panelist off-flavor rating. The GG20 treatment had less 10th rib backfat (P = 0.0178) than CTRL and GG10. DDGS and GG20 had the smallest (P = 0.026) belly flop values; CTRL and GG10 diets had the greatest. Belly and loin GG samples had greater (P < 0.001) total ω3, C18:3ω3, and C22:5 compared to CTRL and DDGS samples. Bellies from barrows fed DDGS had the greatest (P = 0.001) amount of C18:2 (linoleic acid), and bellies from the DDGS and GG treatments had greater (P = 0.001) overall PUFA than CTRL. Pork chops from the CTRL group were among the highest rated for all sensory attributes, and the GG20 treatment was more similar (P > 0.05) to the CTRL than GG10. These data suggest that feeding GG preferentially alters fatty acid composition without compromising quality attributes.