# Incorporating Olive By-Products in Bísaro Pig Diets: Effect on Dry-Cured Product Quality

## TL;DR

This study examines how adding olive cake to Bísaro pig diets affects the quality of dry-cured meat products.

## Contribution

It shows that olive cake in pig diets increases n-3 fatty acids in meat products.

## Key findings

- Olive cake in pig diets significantly increased n-3 fatty acid content in dry-cured products.
- The PUFA n-6/n-3 ratio was lower in products from pigs fed olive cake diets.
- Diet had a significant impact on NaCl content but not on SFA, MUFA, or PUFA fractions.

## Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of incorporating olive cake into the diet of indigenous Bísaro pigs on the quality of processed meat products. To this end, loins and “cachaços” were processed using a standardized manufacturing flowchart to produce dry-cured products. The two products were manufactured using the same formulation, ingredients, and curing process. Concerning the physicochemical composition, there were significant differences between the two products for the parameters of aw (p < 0.001), moisture (p < 0.001), total fat (p < 0.001), protein (p < 0.001), and haem pigments (p < 0.001). The diet significantly impacted the NaCl content (p < 0.05). However, neither the product nor the diet affected the fractions of saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), or polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (p > 0.05). However, a significant difference was observed for n-3 (p < 0.05). Adding olive cake increased these fatty acids, and the diet containing 25% centrifuged olive cake showed the highest levels for both products. Compared with the control, the diets containing olive cake had a higher content of n-3 fatty acids, resulting in a lower PUFA n-6/n-3 ratio (p < 0.01).