There is an increasing demand from consumers and pork chain actors for farming practices improving simultaneously the intrinsic (e.g. sensory, nutritional, etc.) and the extrinsic (i.e. production−related: type and origin of feed resources, environmental impacts, etc.) quality attributes of pork. In this context, the present study was undertaken in a commercial farm to validate a feeding strategy designed to jointly improve intrinsic and extrinsic quality attributes of pork. The experiment included a total of 102 growing pigs (Danbred dams × Duroc sires) with females (n = 52) and castrated males (n = 50) over three replicates. At an average body weight (BW) of 32 kg, pigs were assigned to either a control ( C ) or an experimental diet based on “relocation of feed resources” ( R ). They were fed ad libitum one of the two diets according to a three-phase feeding programme until slaughter, when pigs achieved around 125 kg BW. The C diet was based on oilseed meals as a source of proteins and the R diet included extruded faba bean as the main source of proteins and extruded linseed as a source of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( FAs ). The average growth rate and slaughter BW tended to be higher ( P < 0.1) in R than in C pigs, but hot carcass weight and lean meat content did not differ between the two feeding regimens. Ultimate pH in the Longissimus ( LM ) and ham ( Semimembranosus , Adductor , Gluteus medius ( GM ) and Gluteus superficialis ) muscles was higher ( P < 0.01) in R than in C pigs. Drip loss in LM was lower ( P < 0.001) in R than in C pigs. With respect to meat colour, L * , b*, C* and h° values measured 24 h after slaughter were lower ( P < 0.01) in the LM and GM, indicating less light and redder meat (due to lower h°) from R compared with C pigs. Compared with the C diet, the R diet did not affect LM protein and lipid content but markedly reduced ( P < 0.001) the n-6:n-3 and saturated:n-3 FA ratios in both LM and backfat. The current study confirms that in commercial conditions, feeding crossbred pigs with a faba bean-based diet enriched with extruded linseed is a favourable strategy to jointly improve the technological and nutritional properties of pork, while contributing to the relocation of feed resources.
Louveau et al. (Fri,) studied this question.