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Effects of supplemental magnesium concentration of drinking water on pork quality¹

Department of Animal Science and Interdepartmental Nutrition Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695-7621

³ Corresponding author: Eric_vanHeugten{at}ncsu.edu

Thirty-two barrows were used to determine the effects of supplemental Mg in drinking water on pork quality. Pigs were determined to be free of the halothane and Napole mutations and were individually penned. After a 7-d adjustment period, barrows (111 ± 1 kg BW) were blocked by BW and allotted randomly within block to 0, 300, 600, or 900 mg of supplemental Mg from Mg sulfate/L of drinking water for 2 d before slaughter. Pigs were not allowed access to feed (0.13% Mg) for 15 h before slaughter but continued to have access to experimental water treatments. Pigs were loaded and transported 110 km (1.75 h) to a commercial abattoir and remained in lairage for 5 h before slaughter. The LM was removed 24 h postmortem. Retail storage was simulated for 8 d, and the remaining LM was vacuum-packaged for 25 or 50 d at 4°C. Plasma Mg concentration increased linearly (P = 0.001) with Mg supplementation; however, Mg concentration of the LM was not affected (P = 0.99) by Mg supplementation. Surface exudate, drip loss, and retail fluid loss of the LM were not affected (P > 0.10) by Mg. Lightness (L*) and redness (a*) of the LM were not affected (P > 0.10) by Mg, with the exception of initial redness (cubic; P = 0.05). Pigs supplemented with 300 or 900 mg of Mg/L had lower yellowness (b*) values of the LM displayed for 0 to 6 d than pigs supplemented with 0 or 600 mg of Mg/L (cubic; P < 0.05). Lightness of the LM after 25 (quadratic; P = 0.03) or 50 (quadratic; P = 0.04) d of vacuum-packed storage was greater at 300 and 600 mg of Mg/L than at 0 or 900 mg/L. Yellowness tended to be greater after 50 d, but not after 25 d, of vacuum-packaged storage for 300 or 600 mg of Mg/L compared with 0 or 900 mg/L (quadratic; P = 0.08). Oxidation of the LM, determined by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances after 4 d of retail storage, increased linearly (P = 0.05) as Mg increased in the drinking water. Furthermore, oxidation of the LM after 8 d of retail storage tended to increase linearly (P < 0.10), primarily because of the high oxidation of LM from pigs supplemented with 900 mg of Mg/L compared with controls (224 vs. 171 ± 19 µg/kg, respectively). Oxidation of the LM was greater for pigs supplemented with 300 or 900 mg/L compared with 0 or 600 mg of Mg/L (cubic; P < 0.06) after 25 d of vacuum-packed storage. Magnesium did not improve pork quality characteristics of practical significance in pigs without the halothane and Rendement Napole mutations.

Key Words: magnesium • pork • quality • swine • water