Fish meal in feeds for finishing pigs gives healthier meat

Janne Karin Brodin

Fish meal is back in feeds for finishing pigs. Research has shown that fish meal, contrary to belief, does not lead to reduced meat quality.

Elin Hallenstvedt Photo: Janne Brodin

Even though fish meal in feeds for finishing pigs increases the ratios of polyunsaturated fats and omega 3 in the meat, it hasn’t been used in feeds since 2002.

Since polyunsaturated fat is the type of fat that is least stable in regard to rancidification, it was previously assumed that pork would store poorly if the feed contained fish meal.

The connection between fish fat and meat quality
PhD student Elin Hallenstvedt posed the question of how much fish fat can be added to pig feeds before it influences meat quality.

In her doctoral study, she conducted experiments using different levels of fish fat in the feed. The meat was kept in frozen storage, and was in addition to that subjected to light every day, in order to simulate normal storage. The results from these experiments show that, even though the meat was kept in frozen storage for nearly one year, only a high ratio of fish fat in the feed (0.7%) had a negative effect on meat quality.

No quality reduction with moderate levels of fish fat
Pig feeds contain no more than 2 to 3 percent fat. When up to 0.5% of the total fat is fish fat, the ratios of polyunsaturated fats and omega 3 in the meat increase and the meat can still be stored for a long time without reduction in meat quality.

Uses cut-offs from the fish industry
Fish meal used to be cheap. These days, we have a battle for resources and increased price levels. Using cut-offs from the fish industry, the nutritional value of the meat will be enhanced without affecting concentrate prices unduly.

Elin Hallenstvedt is responsible for pig feeds at Felleskjøpet. She has a Master’s degree in porcine nutrition from UMB, and defended her PhD thesis on February 11th 2011. The title of her thesis is “The influence of dietary fatty acid composition and sex on pork quality”

Updated: 13.04.11
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