Effect of feeding partially hydrogenated lard on trans-fatty acid content of muscle and backfat of heavy pigs

The incorporation of fat in diets for heavy pigs may be necessary in order to increase their energy intake in the finishing period. Lard may be a good lipid source but it contains 10–13% of linoleic acid, which makes the subcutaneous fat less suitable for long term curing of raw ham. Partial hydrogenation of lard decreases linoleic acid content, but increases trans-fatty acid content. This trial involved two groups of pigs of 114 kg live weight, fed for the last two months before slaughter with diets containing 3% lard (L) or 3% partially hydrogenated lard (PHL). The PHL contained about 10% trans-fatty acids and 2.5% linoleic acid. Rearing performance and carcass characteristics were unaffected by treatment. The group fed PHL showed a lower percentage of linoleic acid in the backfat (PHL 12.28% vs. L 13.04%) and a higher percentage of C18:1 trans-fatty acids both in backfat (0.5% vs. 0.06%) and in intramuscular fat (0.2% vs. 0.04%).