Current feeding strategies to improve pork intramuscular fat content and its nutritional quality

Pork, one of the most consumed meats worldwide, has been facing major challenges regarding its low sensory quality and unhealthy image of fat. This chapter addresses current feeding strategies to ameliorate pork sensory attributes and nutritional quality by increasing intramuscular fat deposition and improving fatty acid composition, respectively. Dietary protein reduction, alone or combined with some components, contributes to satisfy consumer requirements and enhances the competitiveness of the meat industry with higher pork quality and lower production costs. In addition, feeding sources of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to pigs, mainly from marine origin (rich in eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids), increases their content in pork, thus improving the health value of its fatty acid profile. In the near future, the inclusion of microalgae and seaweeds in feed represents a promising approach for the maintenance and development of the livestock sector, as an environmental friendly alternative to balance food and feed industries.