Effect of the source of vegetable dietary protein on slaughter traits and meat quality of growing-finishing pigs

The aim of the study was to determine growth rate, slaughter traits and meat quality in growing-finishing pigs fed complete diets containing various sources of vegetable protein. A feeding trial was conducted on 56 growing-finishing pigs divided into four groups: a control group fed a diet in which the protein source was postextractive soybean meal (S) and three experimental groups fed the following diets: F+P (faba bean seeds + pea seeds), R+F (postextractive 00-rapeseed meal + faba bean seeds), and R+F+P (postextractive 00-rapeseed meal + faba bean seeds + pea seeds). The animals were fattened from 30 to 103 kg live body weight. Fattening was divided into two stages. Estimated were daily gain and feed conversion ratios. Eight carcasses were taken of each group to determine slaughter traits as well as the chemical composition and lipid profile of longissimus dorsi lumborum (LD) muscle. Higher daily gain and feed conversion ratios were recorded in pigs fed an S-containing diet, compared to those given diets with F+P or R+F+P. Slaughter and meat quality traits were found to be affected by the protein source. The carcasses of pigs fed diets containing R and F, or a combination of F and P seeds, were characterized by lower fat and higher meat content as well as a more desirable chemical composition and dietary properties, compared to meat from pigs fed a diet with S.