Elisabeth Huff-Lonergan Iowa State University

Publish Date: December 21, 2017

Feed is the largest cost in pork production; therefore, improving finisher pig feed efficiency can increase producer profitability. Improving feed efficiency can support industry competitiveness, decrease the demand on global feed resources, and complement environmental sustainability. Selective breeding for residual feed intake (RFI) shows promise in meeting these increased demands. However, it is important to balance the benefits of feed efficiency selection with the pig’s feeding behavior and performance. Therefore, this factsheet will discuss feeding behavior and performance research on RFI selection conducted at Iowa State University.

Publish Date: June 3, 2006

Alpha-Lipoic acid (ALA) is a naturally occurring compound present in all tissues of the body. It is naturally found in leaves of plants that contain mitochondria and in non-photosynthetic plant tissues such as roots and tubers; however, red meat possesses the highest concentration of naturally occurring LA. Lipoic acid has gained popularity as a human dietary supplement due to its unique antioxidant capabilities, ability to improve the function of insulin (enhanced glucose clearance), and its ability to improve mitochondrial energy metabolism.

Publish Date: June 3, 2006

Muscle is a highly complex tissue that works within a narrow range of physiological conditions. After an animal is harvested, conditions within the muscle change, and muscle gradually loses its ability to function. As a consequence, a number of physical and chemical changes take place over time as muscle is converted to meat. It is the rate and the extent of these changes that influence the ultimate quality attributes of the resulting meat products.

Publish Date: June 3, 2006

Water-holding capacity of fresh meat (ability to retain inherent water) is an important property of fresh meat as it affects both the yield and the quality of the end product. This characteristic can be described in several ways, but in fresh products that have not been extensively processed, it is often described as drip loss or purge. The mechanism by which drip or purge is lost from meat is influenced by both the pH of the tissue and by the amount of space in the muscle cell and particularly the myofibril that exists for water to reside. Numerous factors can affect both the rate and the amount of drip or purge that is obtained from the product. These factors can include how the product is handled and processed (number of cuts made and size of resulting meat pieces, orientation of the cuts with respect to the axis of the muscle cell, rate of temperature decline after harvest, temperature during storage and even the rate of freezing and temperature of frozen storage). Also of extreme importance is the metabolic state of the live animal at the time of harvest. This can be influenced by the genetic make-up of the animal and by the way the animal was handled. Ultimately, characteristics of the muscle in the live animal can have a strong influence on the amount of moisture that is lost from the resulting meat products. In summary, the entire system of live animal production and handling through initial chilling and finally storage and handling of the meat all play significant roles in influencing the amount of moisture that is lost from the product.