Fatty acid profiles and iodine value correlations between 4 carcass fat depots from pigs fed varied combinations of ractopamine and energy.

A total of 54 finishing barrows (initial BW = 99.8 ± 5.1 kg; PIC C22 × 337) reared in individual pens were allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments with 2 levels of ractopamine (0 and 7.4 mg/kg) and 3 levels of dietary energy (high: 3,537, medium: 3,369, and low: 3,317 kcal/kg of ME) to determine the effects of feeding ractopamine and various dietary energy levels on the fatty acid profile of 4 carcass fat depots (jowl, belly, subcutaneous loin, and intramuscular) and the predictive relationships of calculated iodine value (IV) between these 4 fat depots. Carcasses were sampled for fat tissues at the anterior tip of the jowl, posterior to the sternum on the belly edge, three-quarters the distance around the LM (subcutaneous fat; SC), and within the LM (intramuscular fat; IMF). Feeding ractopamine diets reduced (P < 0.05) total SFA in SC and IMF and increased (P = 0.04) total MUFA in SC. Also, feeding ractopamine diets increased (P < 0.01) the IV of IMF. Total MUFA of belly fat was reduced (P < 0.05) when the low-energy diet was fed compared with the high-energy diet. Jowl fat total MUFA was reduced (P < 0.05) and total PUFA was increased (P < 0.05) when the medium-energy diet was fed compared with the high- and low-energy diets. Iodine values, independent of treatment, were 60.97, 64.51, 55.59, and 58.26 for belly, jowl, IMF, and SC fat depots, respectively. The IV correlations within fat depots were not consistent across dietary treatments because of the effect of treatments on carcass fatty acid characteristics. Feeding ractopamine diets shifted the fatty acid profile from SFA to MUFA in the SC depot. Feeding ractopamine diets did not change belly fat profiles, thus avoiding the potential negative effect of softening belly fat, which is detrimental to processing value. The IV of one fat depot may not be a good indication of IV of other fat depots because of weak correlation coefficients and the apparent influence of dietary treatment.