Effect of flax seeds and dried herbs or fruits on the dietary value and shelf life of raw and aged meat

Abstract The aim of the study was to determine the effect of a mixed diet containing 2% dried herbs or fruits, with or without the addition of 3% flax seeds, on the quality of pork meat in terms of dietary value and susceptibility to oxidation. The study included 50 fattening pigs. During the final phase of fattening animals were divided into 5 dietary groups. The control group A was fattened with a complete finisher diet, while 4 other experimental groups received an addition of 2% dried herbs (H), 2% dried fruits (F) and additionally 3% extruded flax seeds (H+ and F+) to the mixed diet. Meat quality assessments were performed on loin (LLM), ham (SM) and raw matured loin meat (RMLLM). In raw meat, there was a decrease in fat content in LLM in groups fed dried fruit (F and F+) and in SM in H, F and F+ groups. The fatty acid profile of SM meat showed an increase in PUFAs and a decrease in MUFAs in the H and F groups. RMLLM from group F showed an increase in PUFA content. The addition of flax seeds to the mixed diets improved the dietary value of the pork. SM, LLM and RMLLM meats from H+ and F+ groups were characterized by increased PUFA n-3 content (from 0.557 to 0.919% in group H+ and from 0.763 to 1.444% in group F+) and lower PUFA n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio (around 15 in group H+ and around 16 in group F+) and lower thrombogenic index value (around 0.1 in group H+ and from 0.1 to 0.149 in group F+). It was shown too that RMLLMs from groups fed with dried fruit (F and F+) were characterized by increased susceptibility to fat oxidation (TBARS higher by 0.194 and 0.248 mg/kg, respectively).