Improving vitamin D content in pork meat by UVB biofortification

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Food Science
• Animal Science

Background:

• Vitamin D deficiency is a global health concern, necessitating novel food-based solutions.
• Pork is a common dietary staple, making it a potential vehicle for vitamin D biofortification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation as a method to increase vitamin D content in pork loin.
• To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of UVB biofortification in pigs.

Main Methods:

• Two studies involving crossbred pigs fed a standard diet supplemented with vitamin D3.
• Pigs were exposed to daily narrowband UVB radiation for 10 weeks (2 min in Study 1, 6 min in Study 2) or kept as controls.
• Vitamin D concentrations in cooked pork loin were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Main Results:

• Study 1 showed no significant difference in pork loin vitamin D between UVB-exposed and control groups.
• Study 2, with longer UVB exposure, demonstrated significantly higher concentrations of vitamin D3, 25(OH)D3, and total vitamin D activity in pork loin compared to controls (P < 0.05).
• Pigs exhibited no adverse health effects or skin reactions (erythema) during UVB exposure.

Conclusions:

• UVB biofortification is an effective and safe strategy to enhance the natural vitamin D content of pork loin.
• This approach offers a complementary method to feed supplementation for increasing dietary vitamin D intake through pork products.