Physicochemical characteristics of pork fed palm oil and conjugated linoleic acid supplements

The experiment was conducted to determine chemical and physical characteristics of pork fed palm oil in the diets and with two levels of CLA (0.5% and 1.0%) supplementation. Chemical compositions and CLA contents were analyzed from raw loins and ham portions. Color and shear force values were measured in raw and cooked meats. The pork fed CLA supplements contained higher (P < 0.05) moisture, less fat, and lower MUFA:SFA, PUFA:SFA and n−6:n−3 ratios. Fatty acid compositions were noticeably changed in the loin meats when palm oil was supplemented with CLA in the pig diets, but not in the hams. The CLA contents of meats increased (P < 0.05) with increasing amounts of CLA in the diets, with the c9,t11 CLA isomer was the highest concentration. The loins from pigs fed CLA supplements had lighter (P < 0.05) color while the ham portions showed darker color. Cooked loins from pigs fed CLA supplements gave higher (P < 0.05) shear forces compared with that fed palm oil only, while cooked hams had lower forces in spite of higher forces were observed in raw state.