May 7, 2007

 

Experts say DDGS can affect pork quality

 

 

Hogs that consumed high amounts of distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS) could have excessive fat levels which may affect quality of certain pork products, university scientists said.

 

Animal scientist Mickey Latour from Purdue University Extension said adding too much DDGS could be undesirable as high levels of unsaturated fatty acids affect the appearance of bacon and sausage could affect the taste.

 

Latour said replacing 10 to 12 percent of the corn with DDGS in pig diets is doable and it may be more in the range of 6 to 8 percent as gilts tend to have softer fat relative to barrows.

 

In addition, the balance of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids in the pork products are likely to be tipped toward unhealthy dietary levels, he added.

 

While beef cattle can consume up to 30 percent DDGS without meat degradation, the same is not true of swine. There were about 61 million head of hogs on US farms as of March 30, according to the US Agriculture Department.

 

Research by Latour and fellow Purdue animal scientists finds that the pig's unique body composition turns DDGS into soft fat at rates higher than when the pig is fed a straight corn-soybean diet.

 

Bacon produced from pigs fed little or no DDGS is very firm, ideal for slicing, and creates well-defined lean and fat lines. Bacon from pigs fed high levels of DDGS is flabby--commonly shown as "bending"--and exhibits smeared-looking fat and lean lines.

 

Non-DDGS sausage has a richer colour and texture, while pigs fed large quantities of DDGS produce sausage that appears pale and undesirable, the scientists said.

 

DDGS also affects the nutritional value of pork products, Latour said. As the percentage of DDGS fed to a pig goes up, so, too, does the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids.

 

Although Omega-6, or n-6, fatty acids are a necessary part of the human diet, excessive levels are believed to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Omega-3, or n-3, fatty acids are known to be healthy fatty acids.

 

Latour said dieticians are recommending consuming n-6 to n-3 ratio of between 4-to-1 and 6-to-1.

 

Demand for distillers' grain as an alternative for corn has picked up following the rise of corn to ten-year highs this year due to increased ethanol demand.