Meat yield and quality characteristics of Woori heukdon pigs as affected by dietary amino acids and chromium supplementation

This study aimed to assess the effect of combined dietary supplementation with amino acids and chromium on carcass traits, meat yield and quality properties of finishing Woori heukdon (WHD) pigs. For this purpose, forty same-age WHD piglets were equally assigned into control and experimental groups (n=20 per group). The control group were received a basal diet while, the experimental group were received a basal diet supplemented with additional 4% lysine, isoleucine, methionine, threonine, valine and tryptophan during growing phase (30-65 kg body weight), and a basal diet supplemented with 0.1% (w/w) chromium picolinate during finishing period. The pigs were fed <italic>ad libitum</italic> with the diets until they reached a common market weight of around 110 kg. The animals were slaughtered and assessed for carcass traits and composition, and meat quality of loin, ham and belly cuts. Results showed that no differences in the live weight, carcass weight and total meat yield occurred between control and experimental groups (<italic>p</italic>&gt;0.05). The dietary supplementations significantly increased the intramuscular fat content of the loin and ham cuts, and decreased the fat content of belly cut (<italic>p</italic>&lt;0.05). No differences in the meat quality (e.g., pH and color) occurred between the control and experimental diets <italic>(p</italic>&gt;0.05). Noticeably, the dietary supplementation reduced the concentration of PUFA-derived unpleasant aldehydes, and increased the number and quantity of Maillard reaction-derived pleasant aroma volatiles (sulfur-and nitrogen-containing compounds and pyrazines). It is suggested that dietary supplementation with the amino acids and chromium could be used to improve the meat quality property of WHD pigs.