| Crossbred pigs (n = 30) were fed to determine the influence of supplementation of vitamin E on growth and slaughter characteristics of swine and on the quality characteristics of fresh pork. Pigs received either a control diet containing no vitamin E (CON) or a diet formulated to contain 200 mg of vitamin E/kg feed (VITE). During 84 days of feeding, feed intake and weight gain were measured every 2 wk. After the feeding period, pigs were slaughtered and the loin from the left side of each carcass was removed 4 d postmortem. Alpha-tocopherol concentration and proximate composition, for the longissimus muscle were determined. Loins were sliced into 10 cm sections and stored under vacuum (2{dollar}spcirc{dollar}C) for 0, 14, 28 and 56 d. After storage, loins were sliced into 2.54 cm chops, wrapped in PVC film and stored in a retail case (2-4{dollar}spcirc{dollar}C) for 5 d. Thiobarbituric acid values; Hunter L*, a* and b* values; total plate counts (TPC); pH; purge loss; drip loss; cook loss; taste panel characteristics; and, visual panel characteristics were evaluated. Growth traits, slaughter characteristics and proximate composition did not differ (P {dollar}>{dollar} 0.05) between dietary treatments. Alpha-tocopherol concentrations were higher (P {dollar}{dollar} 0.05) by vitamin E supplementation.; Precooked longissimus chops and semimembranosus/adductor roasts from pigs (n = 30) given no supplemental vitamin E (CON) or supplemented with 200 mg vitamin E/kg diet (VITE) were evaluated to compare their lipid oxidation, microbial growth, sensory characteristics, cooking/storage losses and reheating losses. Chops and roasts were vacuum packaged, precooked to 60{dollar}spcirc{dollar}C and stored at 2{dollar}spcirc{dollar}C for 0, 7, 14, 28 and 56 days.; Fresh pork sausage was manufactured from Boston butts from pigs (n = 30) given no supplemental vitamin E (CON) or supplemented with 200 mg vitamin E/kg diet to evaluate sausage quality and shelf-life characteristics. Boston butts were assigned to three frozen storage periods: 0, 28 and 56 days. Following storage, sausage was manufactured and stored under refrigeration (3{dollar}spcirc{dollar}C) for five days. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values, sensory characteristics, percentage metmyoglobin, cooking loss, total plate count (TPC) and pH were determined at 0- and 5-d of refrigerated storage. Following refrigerated storage, sausage was frozen and stored for 80 days. After 80 days, TBA values, percentage metmyoglobin, cooking loss and sensory characteristics were evaluated. These results suggested that supplementation of vitamin E to pigs reduced lipid oxidation and improved the palatability of fresh pork sausage. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
