Dietary CLA supplementation of pigs confers higher oxidative stability to ciauscolo and fabriano salami produced from their meat with no negative impact on the physico-chemical, microbiological and sensorial characteristics

It has been reported that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers are considered particularly beneficial to human health and affect the technological properties of pork meat products such as salami. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of 0.5% CLA supplementation of heavy pig diets on the chemical composition, total fatty acids (FA), oxidative stability, sensory and microbial properties of Ciauscolo and Fabriano salami. The incorporation of CLA into the diet did not modify the chemical, microbial or sensory descriptive analysis of the salami. The CLA dietary supplementation changed the proportions of FA, in particular leading to an increase in the proportion of saturated fatty acids and CLA in both Ciauscolo and Fabriano salami. The results of consumer testing showed a higher degree of liking by consumers when the CLA sample was accompanied by product information, demonstrating the strong influence of the label on consumer perception. The interesting finding was the increase in the oxidative stability of the salami at the end of ripening. This confirms the hypothesis that CLA can affect the saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids/monounsaturated FA ratio in meat products and possesses antioxidative properties that can be transferred, through dietary supplementation, to salami. Practical applications: Feeding a 0.5% CLA diet to finisher pigs resulted in changes in the proportions of FA and enhanced the oxidative stability of salami but did not modify the sensory properties of the products. More research is needed to find the right inclusion level of CLA to be considered optimal from the point of view of producing a high quality product with superior organoleptical, technological and potential health-related properties.