Plant extracts in heavy pig feeding: effects on quality of meat and Cremona salami

The influence of dietary plant extracts (PE) from Lippia spp. titrated in verbascoside (0 and 5 mg/kg feed) during the last period of heavy fattening pig on fresh meat and on Cremona (Protected Geographical Indication) salami quality were evaluated. Meat quality was measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), chemical composition, drip and cooking loss and quality of Cremona salami was assessed as chemical composition, TBARS, cholesterol content, fatty acid composition and sensory analysis. No differences were found for proximate composition either in raw meat or in salami. A lower oxidative (P < 0.05) susceptibility was found in the Biceps femoris muscle of the PE group. Sensory analysis of salami showed that dietary integration did not affect the characteristics of the Protected Geographical Indication product excepting for the colour that resulted more intensely in the PE group. PE significantly lowered the saturated fatty acid content and increased the monounsaturated fatty acids of salami. These results need to be confirmed in further studies.