Enriching breakfast sausages by feeding pigs with CLA supplemented diets

Approaches for improving the profile of functional unsaturated fatty acids in pork products include dietary supplementation of pigs with functional oils. Little information is available to indicate the benefit of this approach in a processed and cooked pork product such as breakfast sausages. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to examine the fatty acid profile and oxidation level in cooked pork sausages, produced following dietary supplementation with CLA compared to sunflower oil (SFO). Fat and moisture percentages, total fatty acid profiles and TBARS were analysed. Fatty acid profiles were altered in the sausages following all treatments. While a stronger effect was seen for CLA treatments, addition of SFO in the diet also resulted in linear increases of CLA in the sausages. CLA supplementation resulted in increased saturated fatty acid content; however, all treatments were within the recommended polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio of above 0.4. Improved oxidative stability was observed in sausages from CLA supplemented diets.