title: Compensatory growth response as a strategy to enhance tenderness in entire male and female pork M. longissimus thoracis.
abstract: The effects of restrictive feeding strategies aimed at promoting a compensatory growth response were investigated with respect to tenderness improvement in pork M. longissimus thoracis. Compensatory growth response is defined by increased weight in pigs fed ad libitum after a period with restricted feeding compared to pigs fed ad libitum the entire fattening period. Specifically, the aim was to study the sensory textural characteristics after female and entire male pigs have been exposed to restrictions in either energy, protein or both in specific growth periods. It was found that textural differences were caused by feeding strategies and not related to variation in intramuscular fat, which did not vary significantly between genders. The female pigs demonstrated compensatory growth response and the texture was significantly (P<0.001) improved by low dietary level of energy from day 50 to 90 and normal dietary level of protein during the entire feeding period. For the entire male pigs, low level of protein in the late feeding period significantly (P<0.05) improved the texture. Also, low level of protein and normal level of energy in the early feeding period resulted in improved tenderness. However, these texture improvements were deemed not to be an effect of compensatory growth since the entire male pigs did not compensate for the feeding restriction in the early feeding period. The tenderness enhancement for the entire male pigs compromised the production results in terms of 7-15% lower carcass weight.
authors: Department of Food Science - Sensory Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 30, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Stolzenbach
authors: Margrethe
authors: M
authors: Therkildsen
authors: Niels
authors: N
authors: Oksbjerg
authors: Rikke
authors: R
authors: Lazarotti
authors: Per
authors: P
authors: Ertbjerg
authors: René
authors: R
authors: Lametsch
authors: Derek V
authors: DV
authors: Byrne