Effects of High Oil Corn and Duration of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) Supplementation on Pig Growth, Pork Quality and Carcass Composition

Purdue University 1999 Swine Research Report. The swine industry has selected to increase percent lean in response to consumer demand for lean pork products. Unfortunately, selection to increase leanness has also resulted in poorer carcass quality, including lower color, firmness and marbling evaluations as well as decreased fat firmness. The pork industry must find a method to produce lean pork without sacrificing pork quality. One quality problem associated with high-percent lean pigs is soft, unsliceable bellies. This problem is of major concern in the highly mechanized pork processing industry. Dietary supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been shown to increase belly firmness of lean pigs. It has also been demonstrated that CLA can improve feed efficiency and act as a repartitioning agent by decreasing subcutaneous fat and increasing lean. High oil corn (HOC) presents an interesting alternative ingredient to pork producers. HOC is utilized as a feedstuff to provide a high-energy diet comparable to conventional corn supplemented with animal fat. The use of HOC eliminates costs associated with supplementing with animal fat and thereby increases the amount of pork produced per acre of corn. To date, there have been no studies that have examined the effects of HOC and CLA on the growth, carcass composition and pork quality of high-lean pigs. This trial evaluated the effects of CLA and high oil corn on pig growth, carcass composition, and pork quality characteristics.