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Human diets low in saturated fats and richer in unsaturated fats (MUFA, PUFA) are linked to better heart health. Since pork often contains high saturated fats, modifying pig diets offers a way to produce healthier meat. The fatty acid profile of pork reflects the diet’s fat composition; thus, adding oils rich in MUFA—like high oleic soybean oil (HOSO)—can improve meat quality. Unlike conventional soybean oil, HOSO contains much more oleic acid and less linoleic acid. Studies show HOSO may enhance pig growth and pork’s fatty acid profile, though excessive use could affect carcass leanness.
Objective: This study evaluates how different durations of HOSO or animal fat (choice white grease, CWG) feeding affect growth, carcass traits, and pork quality in finishing pigs.
Methods: A total of 450, 21-wk-old finishing pigs with an average body weight of 113.7 ± 8 kg were housed in 90 pens assigned to one of five dietary treatments in a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial design. Dietary treatments consisted of two fat sources (CWG: 4% inclusion of choice white grease and HOSO: 4% inclusion of high oleic soybean oil) each provided 2 or 4 weeks before marketing. The "+1" diet was corn-based without fat inclusion (control). Observations included growth performance, carcass characteristics, fatty acid profile, and sensory evaluation.
Results: From day 14 to 28, and over the whole experimental period, pigs fed diets supplemented with HOSO grew faster and converted feed more efficiently than pigs on the control diet. There were no clear differences in growth performance between the types of fat or the feeding periods. Pigs receiving either CWG or HOSO tended to have heavier bellies with higher yield, but slightly smaller loin yield and loin muscle area compared to control pigs. In terms of fatty acid composition, fat-supplemented pigs had higher levels of oleic and eicosenoic acids in the loin. Pigs fed CWG had more palmitic and stearic acids, while HOSO increased oleic and linolenic acids. In the belly, control pigs had more palmitic and stearic acids, whereas fat-supplemented pigs had more oleic and eicosenoic acids. HOSO bellies were particularly rich in oleic acid and α-linolenic acid, while CWG increased γ-linolenic acid. Sensory evaluation showed that taste and overall acceptability were not affected by the diet.
Conclusion: HOSO supplementation improves growth, enhancing some carcass traits, and shifting pork fat toward higher unsaturated fatty acids and lower saturated fatty acids.
Atoo AF, Levesque CL, Thaler R, Underwood K, Beyer E, Perez-Palencia JY. Effect of feeding high oleic soybean oil to finishing pigs on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. J Anim Sci. 2025; Jan 4;103:skae393. doi: 10.1093/jas/skae393