Carcass and meat quality characteristics and backfat fatty acid composition of swine as affected by the consumption of peanuts remaining in the field after harvest.

Carcass composition, meat quality characteristics and changes in backfat fatty acid composition of swine that were allowed to obtain part or all of their weight gain during the growing-finishing period from gleaning peanuts remaining in the field after harvest were evaluated. Thirty-six cross-bred pigs (18 barrows, 18 gilts) were allotted evenly among the following six treatments: 1) fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet (C) from 26 to 104 kg (CCC); 2) gleaned peanuts (P) from 26 to 102 kg (PPP); 3) C from 26 to 78 kg and P from 78 to 103 kg (CCP); 4) P from 26 to 55 kg and C from 55 to 105 kg (PCC); 5) C from 26 to 56 kg and P from 56 to 103 kg (CCP); 6) P from 26 to 79 kg and C from 79 to 106 kg (PPC). Carcasses from all treatment groups were similar in composition. Carcass fat of pigs in CPP, PPC and, in particular, PPP groups was softer than that from pigs in CCC, CCP and PCC groups. Ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids in backfat increased in proportion to the amount of weight gained while pigs gleaned peanuts. Loins from pigs in the PPP and CPP treatment groups received lower marbling scores than those from the CCC group, but the fat content of the loin was not affected by treatment. No differences were detected between treatment groups in shear force values or sensory panel attributes of broiled loin chops, or in thiobarbituric acid values of vacuum packaged loin sections frozen for 4 mo.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)