Soybean GM Replacement by Alternative Protein Sources in Pig Nutrition and Its Effect on Meat and Product Quality

The study aimed to determine the effect of blue lupin seeds (BLS) and rapeseed meal (RM) as substitutes for soybean meal (SBM) in feed mixtures for growing pigs on the quality of meat and health-promoting indices, and the quality of a model meat product. The experiment was performed with 20 growing pigs. The animals were divided into two groups (C—SBM; E—17.5% BLS and approx. 6.0% RM). In the first fattening period, the share of SBM was 2.0%, and in the second fattening period, its share was completely eliminated. The conducted experiment demonstrates no adverse effect of the feed mixtures containing BLS and RM on the chemical and physical parameters of pork and the finished product, which indicates their practical usability as feedstuff materials in the feeding of pigs. The improvement in dietary quality of pork, manifested in the slightly lower positive value for the meat color index L*, decrease in TI values (p = 0.093), and increased DFA:OFA value (p = 0.167), makes BLS and RM viable components of feed mixtures. Additionally, we found higher n-3 PUFA content (p = 0.001) in the meat from animals from group E, as well as lower cooking losses (p = 0.001). The satisfactory results of chemical analyses and consumer assessment prove the advisability of the use of protein substitutes for SBM in fattener feeding.