Effect of dietary conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on the technological quality of backfat of pigs

Pigs were fed diets containing 0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1% conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Compared to controls, backfat from CLA fed pigs was firmer and extracted lipid contained increasing amounts of CLA, but a ± 11% overall decrease in unsaturated fatty acids and a ± 5% overall increase in each of C16:0 and C18:0 saturated fatty acids were noted. This resulted in a change in the melting properties of fat. The onset setting temperature increased from ± 14 °C to ± 18 °C for lipid of backfat of pigs from the 0.25 and 0.5% CLA supplementation groups, and to ± 26 °C for lipid from the 1% CLA supplementation group. The final melting temperatures increased from ± 37 °C to ± 43 °C and ± 45 °C, respectively. The presence of β′-crystals of C18:0–C16:0–C18:1c9 triacylglycerides in fat from CLA fed pigs and β-crystals in fat from 1% CLA fed pigs was observed. Fatty acid and melting point results explained the improvement in the technological quality of backfat as a result of dietary CLA supplementation.