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Item Item The utilization of lactose by the growing pig : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Agricultural Science in Animal Science(Massey University, 1997) Shearer, Ian JohnThe results of a recent Nationwide survey (Davenport 1966) showed that 93% of all pig units were still dependent on supplies of liquid dairy by-products - whey and skim milk - for their major source of pig food. Calculations made from figures for cheese and casein production (N.Z. Govt. Statistics, 1967) show that in 1966, approximately 500 million gallons of whey alone, were produced. Of this, a comparatively small amount is utilized by the dairy industry to produce alternative by-products. Condensed or dried whey production involves the costly removal of large volumes of water. This necessarily results in a high price to the consumer, and consequently a low consumer demand. The quantities of lactose produced are unlikely to increase appreciably as there is only a limited demand for this sugar, and it is still too early to tell whether current research into alternative uses for the whey, such as the production of food yeast (Chapman, 1966), will make significant inroads into the very large whey surpluses. It is clear that the conversion of these surpluses into pigmeat is still the most profitable single outlet for a large amount of the whey produced. On the basis of calculations similar to those made by Owtram, (1961) full utilization of the whey produced in 1966 if fed alone, could yield up to 19,000 tons of pigmeat. Needless to say, under the more normal feeding systems in which 1 lb meal daily, is also fed, production levels even higher could be envisaged.Item Provision of immunoglobulins to suckling piglets can enhance post-weaning growth performance : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Animal Science at Massey University(Massey University, 1998) Vanavichial, BoonkasemIn this experiment the hypothesis that providing a supplementary source of bovine milk immunoglobulin G (IgG) to suckling piglets increases post-weaning growth performance was tested. The litters from eight multiparous Large White x Landrace sows received oral supplements by syringe. Three piglets in each litter received oral doses of whey globulin concentrate (WGC) which contained 6% IgG. A second group of three piglets per litter received oral doses of whey protein isolate (WPI) to approximate the amino acids supplied in WGC but without IgG's. A third group of three piglets per litter received oral doses of water (CONT) to simulate the oral dosing procedure. The daily supplement of WGC and WPI provided 0.7 g per day of age of ideal protein during the first week and 1.4 g per day of age thereafter. The oral doses were provided twice daily at 09.00h and 15.00h from day 2 to day 24 of lactation. For the statistical analysis, a linear model including sex, sow and treatment as fixed effects, and live weight at birth as covariate was fitted to the data. The average daily gains measured over the suckling period (24d) were not atatistically significantly different between the three groups with the control gaining 249gd-1, WGC gaining 259gd-1 and WPI gaining 264gd-1. The provision of either WGC or WPI did not increase the average daily gain up to weaning, possibly because the piglets reduced their intake of sow's milk. To determine the effect of supplemental IgG, the most valid comparison is between WPI and WGC because the supply of ideal protein, and the time taken to provide each oral dose, were similar. Piglets receiving WGC grew 12% faster than WPI from transfer (62d) to slaughter (85kg) (P < 0.05), and 8% faster from birth to slaughter (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that the provision of IgG during early life can lead to long term advantages in growth rate.Item Prediction of the in vivo digestible energy value of barley for the growing pig on the basis of physical and chemical characteristics and in vitro digestible energy : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Agricultural Science at Massey University(Massey University, 1997) Chen, JiaiThe study aimed to develop statistical relationships to allow the prediction of apparent digetible [sic] energy in barley based on simple physical and chemical measures. A second aim was to evaluate a recently developed in vitro energy digestibility assay. Seventeen barley samples representing nine varieties were obtained throughout New Zealand during the 1995 harvest. The samples were subjected to chemical analysis and several physical attributes were determined. Ten barley samples were selected on the basis of their crude protein and fibre contents to cover the range in gross chemical composition and digestible energy contents were determined after sampling faecal contents from 30 kg liveweight pigs, given barley as the sole source of energy. In vitro dry matter digestibility of the barley samples was determined using a multi-enzyme assay. The physical characteristics of the barley samples were variable, especially the level of screenings (ranging from 1 to 11.6%) and to a lesser extent the moisture content (ranging from 12 to 16.2%) and 1000 seed weight. The chemical composition of the barley samples differed with the crude protein content ranging from 7.8 to 11.7%. The mean levels of Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF), Acid Detergent Fibre (ANF) and lignin were 16.4 %, 4.2%, and 1.1%, respectively. Total β-glucan and Gl extracted β-glucan contents were also determined with mean values of 4.5% and 1.4%, respectively. The in vivo apparent digestibility of energy (DE) ranged from 72.5% to 78.4% with a mean digestibility of 75.8%. Among the physical and chemical characteristics, only the seeding rate was significantly correlated with in vivo energy digestibility (r = 0.73, P< 0.05). The gross energy (GE) content was significantly correlated with apparent digestible energy content (r = 0.78). When the gross energy value of a sample is known, an approximation of the apparent digestible energy (ADE) content can be made using a simple prediction equation: ADE MJ/kg dry matter = -10.48 ± 1.33 GE MJ/kg dry matter. Repeatability of the in vitro digestibility of dry matter (DDM) was high (r =0.68) but the correlation coefficient between in vivo DE and in vitro DDM for the barley samples (r = 0.29) was not statistically significant. However, when combined with results for several wheat milling by-products, the in vitro DDM was significantly (p<0.01) correlated to the in vivo DE (r = 0.96) indicating that in vitro DDM is a good predictor for in vivo DE across feedstuffs but not within a feedstuff.Item Factors influencing the apparent faecal digestibility of energy and organic matter in wheat and wheat by-products (bran and broll) for the growing pig : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Nutritional Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 1998) Lee, Tae SunThe effect of several factors on the determination of the apparent faecal digestibility of dietary energy (ADE) and dietary organic matter (ADOM) for the growing pig was studied. The work was conducted in three parts. In the first part of the overall study, the effects of collection method (total faeces collection versus chromic oxide as a marker) and duration of the faeces collection period were examined. Thirty kg liveweight pigs were subjected to a conventional balance study (7 days adaptation, 12 days faeces collection) and were for either a wheat- or wheat byproduct- (broil/bran) based diet. ADE and ADOM were higher (P<0.001) for the wheat diet in comparison to the wheat by-product based diet and in general higher (P<0.001) ADE and ADOM values were found with total collection versus the marker. There was a significant (P<0.001) effect of duration of the collection period. Chromium recovery (%) increased, for both diets, over the first 3 to 4 days of the collection period, but thereafter was relatively constant. The aim of the second part of the study was to determine the influence of the two factors, feeding level (6 or 11% of metabolic liveweight) and liveweight (25 or 90 kg), on ADE and ADOM in the two cereal based diets. Growing pigs were subjected to a conventional balance study and digestibility coefficients were calculated by reference to the indigestible marker, chromic oxide. There were no significant (P>0.05) effect of feeding level but a significant (P<0.05) though relatively small effect of animal liveweight, with digestibility being somewhat higher for the heavier pigs. The third part of the overall study evaluated the effect of genotype on ADE and ADOM for the two cereal based diets. Four-month-old Large White x Landrace pigs, (55 kg liveweight) and three-month-old Kune-Kune pigs (20 kg liveweight) were subjected to a conventional balance study with ADE and ADOM being determined based on a total collection of faeces. When for the wheat by-product based diet the Kune-Kune pigs showed a higher (P<0.001) digestibility of nutrients, no statistically significant difference between genotypes was found for the more digestible wheat based diet.Item The effect of energy intake prior to oestrus and subsequent to mating on ovulation rate and litter size at birth in gilts : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Animal Science at Massey University(Massey University, 1973) Le-Ngoc, Chi-MinhThe objective of this investigation was to examine the effect of flushing for about eleven days prior to service and plane of nutrition during the first month of pregnancy on the reproductive performance of gilts. Additional observations were also made on plasma progesterone levels during early and late pregnancy and body temperature changes during the oestrous cycle and late pregnancy in gilts. A flushing ration of 3.6 kg per day representing 10.80 Mcal of digestible energy, given to gilts at about 5th oestrus (270 days old and 115 kg body weight) did not make any significant difference in ovulation rate or litter size at birth from the control gilts under similar physiological conditions, receiving 1.8 kg of the same feed per day. It was thought that the gilts were mated late in their reproductive life and their body conditions might partly explain the discrepancy between the present study and others. In contrast, high plane of nutrition during the first month of pregnancy significantly increased litter size and weight at birth. Average birth weight of pigs, however, was unaffected. No interaction between pre- and post-mating feeding levels could be found on any of these three characteristics. Plasma progesterone levels increased significantly from Day 3 to Day 15 and declined gradually from Day 100 through Day 110 to 112 of pregnancy. The effect of feeding treatments (pre- and post-mating) was not significant except at stage 5 (Day 110 of pregnancy). Mummified foetuses were significantly correlated with progesterone levels at the last two stages (Day 110 and 112 of pregnancy). Rectal temperatures of gilts increased significantly from Day 2 to Day 6 then tailed off until Day 10 of the oestrous cycle. (Day 0: day of oestrus). During late pregnancy, rectal temperatures dropped significantly from Day 6 to Day 3 prior to farrowing day. However, due to big daily variations and the unreliability of the measurement, temperature changes were not suggested as a diagnosis method of ovulation and parturition.Item Evaluation of sources of error in weight records of commercially raised growing pigs : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Veterinary Studies in Epidemiology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2008) Schauer, BirgitThe objective of this research was to investigate sources of errors in pig weight measurements. Three studies were conducted using data from one commercial New Zealand pig farm. In XChapter 4X, finisher pigs fed ad libitum or via a computerized liquid feeding system were weighed four times a day over a fourday period. Results showed that standardization of weighing time reduced diurnal fluctuations in pig weight. However, multivariate analysis showed that there was a significant interaction between day and time of day, which indicates that diurnal fluctuations in live weight are not consistent between days, particularly in ad libitum fed pigs. Hence, XChapter 5X investigated whether overnight feed withdrawal for 11 hours (weaners) or 17 hours (growers and finishers) is effective in reducing between-pig variation in live weight and growth rate. For grower and finisher pigs, feed withdrawal was associated with a reduction in variability in live weight and growth rate by up to 11.5%, whilst the effect was inconsistent in weaner pigs. It is recommended to repeat the investigation on other farms to assess long-term effects on pig performance before general recommendations can be made. XChapter 6X compared the magnitude of sampling error when sampling pens from batches of pigs, using different sample sizes and sampling methods. Increasing the portion of randomly selected pens reduced the sampling error, but in a diminishing manner. Purposive selection of two pens reduced sampling error by more than 64% compared with random sampling. However, purposive sampling introduces the risk of obtaining biased estimates. Thus, it is recommended to select pens from batches at random. These results may be used as an educational tool to demonstrate how to minimize errors in pig weights. Collecting more accurate weight records is likely to lead to improved interpretability of pig weights, and may promote better use of production data.Item Amino acid digestibility in meat and bone meal for the growing pig : the development of a digestibility assay based on the laboratory rat : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 1993) Donkoh, ArmstrongThe study involved developing and applying a routine ileal amino acid digestibility assay, based on the sampling of digesta from the euthanased laboratory rat, with specific application to the digestion of meat and bone meal (MBM) protein by the growing pig. The work was conducted in six separate experiments. 1. The first experiment aimed to evaluate the slaughter method as a technique for sampling ileal digesta in the pig under defined sampling conditions. In a preliminary investigation, the influence of time after feeding (3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11 hours) on the amount of digesta obtained from the terminal 20 cm of ileum and apparent ileal nitrogen (N) digestibility was determined. Thirty-six 30 kg liveweight entire male pigs were given a semi-synthetic diet containing meat and bone meal (MBM) as the sole protein source and chromic oxide as an indigestible marker. The animals were given the MBM diet for 14 days and were killed by intracardial injection of a barbiturate on the 14th day. Digesta were flushed from the terminal ileum using deionised water. Secondly, the effect of site in the ileum for sampling digesta at 9 hours post-feeding was determined using 12 entire male pigs. The animals were equally and randomly allocated to two sampling sites (the terminal 0-20 cm or 0-40 cm of ileum). Further samples of ileal digesta were taken at regular 20 cm intervals up the final 140 cm of ileum of each pig. Sampling at 9 hours after the start of feeding resulted in the greatest and least variable sample size as well as the highest N digestibility. Sampling site within the terminal ileum had no significant (P > 0.05) influence on the apparent digestibility of nitrogen. In the same study, comparison of apparent ileal amino acid digestibility in MBM, under the defined sampling conditions, was made between 8 pigs whose digesta were sampled from the terminal 20 cm of ileum at death 9 hours after the commencement of feeding, and 8 pigs with simple T-cannulas and with hourly collection of digesta over 10 hours on the final 2 days of the 14-day study. The simple T-cannulated animals were accepted as the control. There was no significant (P > 0.05) effect of digesta collection procedure on the apparent ileal N and amino acid digestibility coefficients. Faecal N and amino acid digestibility coefficients in intact pigs were identical to those in pigs fitted with a simple T-piece cannula in the distal ileum. Faecal digestibility values in both intact and cannulated pigs were, however, considerably (P < 0.05) higher than the corresponding ileal values. It was concluded that the slaughter technique is a viable alternative to simple T-cannulation for the determination of N and amino acid digestibility in the pig given a semi-synthetic MBM diet. 2. The second experiment determined the optimal digesta sampling conditions with the slaughter method applied to the laboratory rat. The effect of time after feeding (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 hours) on the amount of digesta obtained from the terminal 20 cm of ileum and apparent ileal N digestibility was investigated. Thirty-six 190 g male rats received a semi-synthetic diet whose sole protein source was meat and bone meal. Chromic oxide was added to the diet an indigestible marker. The animals were given the MBM diet for 14 days and were killed by CO2 asphyxiation on the 14th day. Digesta were sampled from the terminal ileum. Furthermore, the effect of site within the terminal ileum (0-5, 0-10, 0-15 and 0-20 cm) for sampling digesta 4 hours post-feeding was determined with 72 male rats. The optimal time for sampling digesta was 4 hours after the start of feeding, while 20 cm of ileum was the maximum length of ileum sampled without affecting apparent N digestibility. Significantly (P < 0.05) higher quantities of digesta were collected from the terminal 20 cm of ileum compared to the shorter ileum lengths. 3. In experiment three, the use of the rat as a model animal for allowing the determination of apparent ileal amino acid digestibility in the growing pig, using the slaughter method was evaluated. Sixteen male rats and 16 male pigs were fed diets containing chromic oxide and as the sole protein source, meat and bone meals which were expected to differ in their quality. Ileal contents from the terminal 20 cm of ileum were collected after slaughter of the rats and pigs, 4 and 9 hours after the start of feeding, respectively. Inter-species comparison made under the defined conditions, indicated close agreement between the rat and pig for the ileal digestibility of N and most of the amino acids in each of the two different meat and bone meals evaluated. It was concluded that the growing rat is a satisfactory model for the growing pig. for determining ileal amino acid digestibility in meat and bone meal. The measurement of digestibility at the terminal ileum indicated differences in amino acid digestibility between two meat and bone meals, however, the faecal approach which generated significantly higher digestibility coefficients than the ileal digestibility method, did not allow the differences in amino acid digestibility to be detected. 4. Experiment four was undertaken to compare a recently-developed peptide alimentation method and the protein-free and regression methods for determining endogenous ileal N and amino acid excretion in the rat, and was aimed at the development of a true ileal digestibility assay with application to meat and bone meal. Preliminary investigations determined the effect of the time of sampling of digesta from rats given a protein-free (PF) or an enzymically hydrolysed casein (EHC) based diet, on ileal digesta and endogenous N excretion. There was a significant (P < 0.05) effect of the time of sampling on the amount of digesta collected and the endogenous N excretion for both the EHC- and PF-fed rats. The amount of digesta collected from the terminal 20 cm of ileum and the endogenous N excretion for both the EHC- and PF-fed rats were least variable at 3 hours post-feeding. In the main study, endogenous ileal amino acid excretions were determined in the growing rat fed an EHC-based diet and with subsequent treatment of the digesta using ultrafiltration (n = 6) or in 6 rats given a PF diet or by extrapolation from data for 30 animals given 5 diets which contained graded levels of MBM as the protein source. For the EHC treatment, the ileal digesta precipitate plus retentate was used to determine the endogenous flows. Such processing excludes unabsorbed dietary amino acids from the measure of endogenous loss. Chromic oxide was the reference marker in all the diets. The endogenous flows determined by the protein-free and the regression method were similar but both significantly (P < 0.01) lower than those for rats fed the EHC-based diet. The mean (±SE) endogenous ileal N flows determined by the peptide alimentation method, the protein-free and regression approaches were 1866 (±30.8), 1103 (±22.6) and 1019 (±3.6) μg g-1 FDMI, respectively. It was concluded that endogenous amino acid flows at the terminal ileum were underestimated when determined using the traditional protein-free or regression methods. 5. The effect of dietary protein content (25, 60, 95, 130, 165 and 200 g CP kg-1 diet) on the apparent and true ileal digestibility of N and amino acids was investigated. Semi-synthetic diets in which the protein content was varied by the inclusion of graded amounts of MBM (50 to 400 g kg-1 diet) at the expense of maize starch were fed to 36 growing rats for 14 days. On the 14th day, the rats were fed and euthanased 4 hours after the start of feeding and digesta were collected from the terminal 20 cm of ileum. Endogenous amino acid excretion was determined for 18 rats given an EHC-based diet. The EHC-fed rats were euthanased 3 hours after the start of feeding and digesta were collected from the terminal 20 cm of ileum. The true ileal digestibility values determined with reference to chromium as a marker, were higher than the corresponding apparent estimates. Apparent digestibility of N and amino acids significantly (P < 0.001) increased with increasing dietary protein level, however, dietary protein content had no significant (P > 0.05) effect on the true ileal digestibility of N and amino acids. The mean apparent ileal digestibility of N in MBM ranged from 65.6 to 75.3%. The corresponding range of true ileal digestibility of N was 76.9 to 78.2% 6. The final experiment generated data on the nutrient compositions of meat and bone meals collected from eight processing plants throughout New Zealand. The true ileal digestibility of the amino acids in the meat and bone meals were also determined using the rat assay developed in the previous studies. Endogenous amino acid excretion, used for the correction of apparent digestibility values to true estimates, was determined for rats given a protein-free or an enzymically hydrolysed casein diet. The meat and bone meals were variable in their nutrient composition and in the true ileal digestibility of protein and amino acids. The true nitrogen and amino acid digestibility coefficients based on endogenous flows determined by the EHC method were markedly higher than with the protein-free diet. The true ileal N and lysine digestibility coefficients based on the respective endogenous flows for rats fed the EHC diet ranged from 62.7 to 88.9% and 66.4 to 92.3%, respectively. Values determined with endogenous flows for rats fed the protein free diet ranged from 59.0 to 85.2% for N, and 63.2 to 88.9 for lysine. The variable ileal digestible N and amino acid contents of meat and bone meals emphasise the limitation of tabulated analytical values and the need for a routine relatively inexpensive digestibility assay.Item Studies into factors responsible for the acceptability of pork on the Singaporean market : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2011) Leong, Jasmine Woon Ying; Leong, Jasmine Woon YingThe thesis reports the results of a series of studies looking into the acceptability of pork on the Singapore market. Anecdotal comments have indicated that pork from some countries had a less acceptable flavour than that produced locally, so a survey was conducted to clarify the situation. This indicated that imported pork, including that from New Zealand, had an undesirable mutton-like flavour. Using pork from female pigs fed either a plant only diet (NZP) or one that included some animal products (NZA) it was shown that Singapore consumers favoured the former due to a lower mutton note. The use of garlic essential oil (GEO) to improve the acceptability of NZ pork either by adding it directly to pork or feeding it to pigs was demonstrated. With increasing GEO, garlic flavour strength increased and mutton flavour strength decreased even when diets of the pigs included animal products. Concentrations of indolic compounds (indole and skatole) in backfat increased with increasing dietary garlic concentration (P<0.001), and were higher in backfat from the NZA group (P<0.05), but were unaffected by different dietary lipid sources (fish oil, tallow, and a mix of linseed oil and soya oil). A highly acceptable low-fat (<10%) and low-salt (<450 mg/100 g) pork ball with an n-6/n-3 ratio of <4 was developed as a premium product, and effects on its acceptability were assessed using pork from pigs on different diets. A supplement containing selenium, vitamin E, vitamin C and CLA fed to pigs led to pork and pork balls with increased levels of these items. Inclusion of fish oil in the diet (4.4%) increased the levels of the long chain n-3 fatty acids (LCN3FA) in the pork and pork balls, but also increased measures of oxidation (TBARs), especially after a period of storage, and decreased the acceptability of the product due to increased off-flavours (rancid and aftertaste). This occurred when fish oil was removed from the diet either 28 days or 49 days (early and late feeding stage) before slaughter. Further research into ways of improving the flavour aspects of these products is required.Item Effects of dietary fish oil or other lipids and Sanovite on pig performance and pork quality : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Animal Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2010) Nuijten, Wilhelmina Gerardina MariaIn this experiment, the effects of (1) lipid type (soy bean oil, tallow and fish oil), (2) the period the fish oil was provided and (3) a dietary supplement containing conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), selenium (Se), vitamin E and vitamin C on pig performance and pork quality were studied. Forty-eight female pigs (PIC hybrids, with a mean live weight of 16.19 kg ± 1.56 SD) were obtained from a single commercial operation in the North Island of New Zealand. The pigs were rank ordered by weight and assigned to one of six dietary treatment groups. The diet base was either a combination of animal and plant feedstuffs (AT and PTS), plant feedstuffs only (PO, POS) or plant feedstuffs combined with fish oil (PFSe and PFSl). The diets also differed depending on the presence or absence of the nutritional supplement SanoviteTM and a vitamin C supplement. SanoviteTM is a trademarked dietary supplement containing CLA (BASF, Auckland, New Zealand), organic Selenium (Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY) and vitamin E (Morel et al., 2008). Diets POS, PTS, PFSe, PFSl contained SanoviteTM and a vitamin C supplement. Diets PO and POS were used to establish the effect of the supplementation with SanoviteTM and the vitamin C supplement. Pigs fed diet PFSe received plant feedstuffs and fish oil with supplement between days 1 and 35 and then diet POS up to day 84. Pigs fed diet PFSl received diet POS between days 1 and 35; plant feedstuffs and fish oil with supplement between days 36 and 56 and then diet POS up to day 84. Pigs in group PFSe and PFSl both received the same total amount of fish oil per pig (2.52 l/ 2.31 kg). Between days 1 and 56 of the experiment grower diets were fed, and finisher diets were fed between days 57 and 84 of the experiment. The pigs were kept in pens of six, but fed individually twice daily (at approximately 8 am and 3.30 pm) according to a fixed feeding schedule. Water was available at all times. Individual feed intakes were measured daily and live weight recorded weekly. Faeces were collected once a day during two days in week five of the trail for digestibility determination. Carcass quality characteristics determined at the abattoir included carcass weight and back fat thickness as measured at the end of the slaughter line. Meat quality assessments were performed on the Semimembranosus muscle (SM) from one of the topside cuts of each pig. Measurements of fatty acid profile (loin and backfat) and the Se content (lean meat) were conducted in Singapore by Mrs. J. Leong (MSc). In this study plant or animal feedstuffs, lipid type, SanoviteTM and vitamin C supplementation had no significant effects on growth performance and carcass quality. There were no differences in apparent faecal digestibility characteristics for dry matter (DDM) and organic matter (DOM) in the un-supplemented animal (AT) and plant based (PO) diets. Lipid type had a significant effect on the digestibility of ash (DA), and an increased ratio of unsaturated fatty acid to saturated fatty acid resulted in increases in DDM and DOM. DDM and DOM increased when soybean and linseed oil (POS) were used instead of tallow (PTS) or fish oil (PFS). The main differences in DDM, DOM and DA were observed between diets PO and POS. A positive effect of selenium, vitamin E and CLA supplementation is suggested. Increased cooking temperatures reduced tenderness (higher mean, peak force, yield force and peak force – yield force) and increased cooking loss. There was a significant negative relationship between ultimate pH and relative lightness (L*). There were highly significant positive correlations between all three measurements of expressed juice, and there was a significant positive correlation between cooking loss at 60 and 70oC (P<0.01) but correlations between expressed juice values and cooking loss were not significant. The P-values for the contrasts for cooking loss at 70 0C were significant for all contrasts except for AT vs PO and PFSe vs PFSl. For all other contrasts, the P-values for cooking loss at 70 0C were significantly higher in group POS than for groups PO, PTS and PFSe+PFSl. The P-value for (Peak force – Yield force) at 70°C was significantly higher in samples from group PFSe than for samples from group PFSl. The P-value for the myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI) was significantly higher for group AT in contrast to group PO. Group POS had a significantly higher P-value for MFI in contrast to groups PO, PTS and PFSe and PFSl. Group POS had a lower P-value for sarcomere length in contrast to groups PFSe and PFSl. Group PFSe had a significantly higher P-value for sarcomere length in contrast to group PFSl. Group PFSe had a significantly higher P-value for expressed juice percentage loss in weight in contrast to group PFSl. Supplementing with SanoviteTM increased the Se content (P = 0.002) in lean meat as analysed by J. Leong (2010, personal communication). In general it was concluded that an increase in the ratio of unsaturated fatty acid to saturated fatty acid (U/S) in the diet resulted in higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids in loin and backfat. The fatty acid profile in the diet reflected the fatty acid profile of pork. Backfat of pigs fed diets including soybean and linseed oil contained higher levels of linoleic and α-linolenic acids. Diets PO and POS were used to establish the effect of the supplementation of CLA. The backfat of pigs fed diet POS contained higher levels of CLA (C18:2-trans-10, cis-12) and α-linolenic acid than pigs fed diet PO. The loin of pigs fed diet POS contained higher levels of palmitoleic and linoleic acid and CLA (C18:2-cis-9, trans-11) and lower levels of oleic acid than pigs fed diet PO. The use of fish-oil as a lipid type resulted in the highest levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in loin and backfat. The loin and backfat of pigs fed fish-oil in the second part of the grower phase (PFSl) contained higher levels of EPA, DPA and DHA than pigs fed fish-oil in the first part of the grower phase (PFSe). By enriching the swine diet with long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA) it was possible to increase the EPA, DPA and DHA content of pork. Enriching pork with LC n-3 PUFA will contribute to achieving standards for adequate intake (AI), but might not be suitable to reach suggested dietary targets (SDT). In conclusion, it was possible to change the pork composition by dietary manipulation without compromising pig performance and meat quality. There were a few significant effects from treatments on meat quality characteristics, but differences reported in this study were small and relatively unimportant. A negative influence of the dietary regime on palatability and meat processing was expected, but these issues are beyond the scope of this experiment.