A PREMIX FOR HOG FEED AND A METHOD OF FEEDING A HOG TO PRODUCE DHA AND EPA ENRICHED PORK

PREMELANGE D'ALIMENT POUR PORCS ET METHODE D'ALIMENTATION DES PORCS PERMETTANT DE PRODUIRE DE LA VIANDE DE PORC ENRICHIE EN DHA ET EN EPA

English Abstract

A premix for hog feed and a method of feeding a hog that produces DHA and EPA enriched pork while avoiding or reducing negative effects to the taste, colour, texture, aroma, pH and shelf life which are significant enough to make the pork unacceptable to consumers. One embodiment of the method of feeding a hog involves feeding a hog over several days with a hog feed supplemented with the premix. The premix includes marine-sourced docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and plant-sourced alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). The hogs are fed until their total DHA, EPA and ALA intakes are in a certain range per kilogram of the hog's weight. The hogs are then slaughtered and processed into pork products. This results in pork with an enrichment of omega-3 EFAs in the range of about 2.5% to about 4.5% of fat.

French Abstract

Divulgation d'un prémélange pour nourriture pour cochons et d'une méthode d'alimentation de cochons qui produit du porc enrichi en ADH et en AEP, tout en évitant ou en réduisant les effets négatifs sur le goût, la couleur, la texture, l'arôme, le pH et la durée de vie qui seraient suffisants pour rendre ce porc inacceptable à la consommation. Une réalisation de la présente méthode d'alimentation de cochons consiste à nourrir un cochon pendant plusieurs jours avec une ration alimentaire complétée par le prémélange. Le prémélange comprend de l'acide docohexaénoïque (ADH) et de l'acide eicopentaénoïque (AEP) d'origine marine et de l'acide alpha-linolénique (AAL) d'origine végétale. Les cochons sont nourris jusqu'à ce que leur absorption totale d'ADH, d'AEP et d'AAL soit dans une certaine gamme par kilogramme de masse corporelle du cochon. Les cochons sont ensuite abattus et découpés. Ceci conduit à du porc enrichi en AGE oméga-3 dans la gamme d'environ 2,5 à environ 4,5 % du gras.

Claims

9
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A method of feeding a hog to produce pork enriched with omega-3 Essential
Fatty Acids
(EFAs), said method comprising:
feeding a hog a feed;
wherein said feed comprises marine-sourced docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), plant-sourced alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and
organic selenium;
and
wherein said feeding provides a sufficient amount of the feed to the hog until
the hog's
total DHA intake is in the range of 0.3 g to 0.5 g per kg of the hog's weight,
the hog's total EPA
intake is in the range of 0.2 g to 0.4 g per kg of the hog's weight, and the
hog's total ALA intake
is in the range of 3.3 g to 5.6 g per kg of the hog's weight.
2. The method of feeding a hog as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feeding is
approximately
to 79 days.
3. The method of feeding a hog as claimed in claim 1, wherein the marine-
sourced DHA is
obtained from fish.
4. The method of feeding a hog as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feed
comprises flaxseed.
5. The method of feeding a hog as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hog feed
includes
omega-3 EFAs and omega-6 EFAs, and the feed has a ratio of omega-3 EFAs to
omega-6 EFAs
in the range of about 1:1 to about 1:4.

6. A premix for hog feed comprising: marine-sourced docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
and
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA); plant-sourced alpha-linolenic acid (ALA); and
organic selenium.
7. The premix as claimed in claim 6, wherein the marine source is fish.
8. The premix as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plant source is flaxseed.
9. The premix as claimed in claim 6, wherein the premix includes omega-3 EFAs
and
omega-6 EFAs, and the feed has a ratio of omega-3 EFAs to omega-6 EFAs in the
range of about
3:1 to about 6:1.
10. A method of feeding a hog to produce pork products with omega-3 Essential
Fatty Acids
(EFAs), said method comprising the steps of:
feeding a hog a feed supplemented with a premix;
wherein said premix comprises marine-sourced docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), plant-sourced alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and
organic selenium;
and
wherein said feeding provides a sufficient amount of the feed to the hog until
the hog's
total DHA intake is in the range of 0.3 g to 0.5 g per kg of the hog's weight,
the hog's total EPA
intake is in the range of 0.2 g to 0.4 g per kg of the hog's weight, and the
hog's total ALA intake
is in the range of 3.3 g to 5.6 g per kg of the hog's weight;
slaughtering the hog when the intake is within the recited ranges per hog's
weight;

11
processing the hog into one or more pork products; and
wherein that the pork products have an enrichment of omega-3 EFAs in the range
of
about 2.5% to about 4.5% of fat.
11. The method of feeding a hog as claimed in claim 10, wherein the feeding is
approximately 10 to 79 days.
12. The method of feeding a hog as claimed in claim 10, wherein the marine-
sourced DHA is
obtained from fish.
13. The method of feeding a hog as claimed in claim 10, wherein the feed
comprises
flaxseed.

Description

CA 02649937 2009-01-15
TITLE: A PREMIX FOR HOG FEED AND A METHOD OF
FEEDING A HOG TO PRODUCE DHA AND EPA
ENRICHED PORK
FIELD OF THE APPLICATION
[0001] The present application relates to a premix for hog feed and a method
of
feeding a hog, and more particularly, a premix and a method of feeding a hog
that results
in DHA and EPA enriched pork.
BACKGROUND OF THE APPLICATION
[0002] Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are fatty acids that are important
to
human health but cannot be constructed within the human body and therefore
must be
obtained by diet. Most omega-3 EFAs come from marine and plant sources.
Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) come primarily from
marine sources, such as cold-water fishes, for example, salmon. Alpha-
Linolenic Acid
(ALA) comes primarily from plant sources, such as nuts, seeds, or vegetables.
[0003] Most people, especially North Americans, do not consume enough omega-3
EFAs to meet their daily nutritional needs. And in addition to consuming
enough omega-
3 EFAs, the ratio of omega-3 EFAs to omega-6 EFAs consumed is also important.
Desirable ratios of omega-3 to omega-6 are in the 1:1 to 1:5 range. However,
many food
products such as milk and other dairy products contain omega-3 to omega-6
ratios of 1:5
or higher. North American diets as a result are typically too heavily weighted
to omega-6
EFAs, which may contribute to a number of health problems including heart
disease.

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[0004] Various foods have been enriched with omega-3 EFAs, such as bread, eggs
and milk. Flaxseed is the most common source for omega-3 EFA enrichment since
it is
comparatively better tasting than marine sources of omega-3 EFAs. Most people
find a
fishy taste in non-fish foods unpleasant. But while flax is high in ALA, it is
not as rich in
DHA and EPA. Evidence has shown that greater health benefits come from the
consumption of DHA and EPA than from the consumption of ALA. Nevertheless,
marine-sourced omega-3 EFA enrichment of foods, for example meat products, has
not
been successful due to the poor taste of the enriched food product, as well as
due to
negative effects on the texture, colour, aroma, pH and shelf life of the
enriched food
product.
[0005] Selenium is a mineral that is also important to human and animal diets
as a
component of the antioxidant enzyme system. In particular, selenium is a
component of
the enzyme glutathione peroxidase which neutralizes toxic peroxides that are
formed
during the conversion of body fat to energy. Absent neutralization, these
peroxides can
damage cell components and cause a range of health problems, including cancer.
Selenium is also a component of more than 20 other functional proteins in the
body, most
of which have some type of protective function.
[0006] Many humans are deficient in selenium, to a large extent because the
majority
of livestock feed grains and soybeans are being grown in regions where the
soil is low in
selenium. This causes selenium deficiencies in the animals consuming the feed
and
consequently in humans consuming the animal products.
[0007] Accordingly, there remains a need for improvements in enriched food
products.

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BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] According to one aspect, the present invention provides a method of
feeding a
hog that results in DHA and EPA enriched pork while avoiding or reducing
negative
effects to the taste, colour, texture, aroma, pH and shelf life which are
significant enough
to make the pork unacceptable to consumers. According to another aspect, the
present
invention provides a premix for hog feed.
[0009] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of
feeding a hog to produce pork enriched with omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
(EFAs), the
method comprising, feeding a hog a feed; wherein the feed comprises marine-
sourced
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and plant-sourced
alpha-
linolenic acid (ALA); and wherein said feed is fed to the hog over a period of
time until
the hog's total DHA intake is in the range of 0.3 g to 0.5 g per kg of the
hog's weight, the
hog's total EPA intake is in the range of 0.2 g to 0.4 g per kg of the hog's
weight, and the
hog's total ALA intake is in the range of 3.3 g to 5.6 g per kg of the hog's
weight.
[00010] According to another embodiment, the present invention provides a
premix
for hog feed comprising: a marine-sourced docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and a
marine-
sourced eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA); a plant-sourced alpha-linolenic acid
(ALA); and
organic selenium.
[00011] According to another embodiment, the present invention provides a
method of
feeding a hog to produce pork products with omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
(EFAs), the
method comprising the steps of: feeding a hog a feed supplemented with a
premix;
wherein said premix comprises marine-sourced docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and plant-sourced alpha-linolenic acid (ALA);
wherein said
feed is fed to the hog over a plurality of days until the hog's total DHA
intake is in the

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range of 0.3 g to 0.5 g per kg of the hog's weight, the hog's total EPA intake
is in the
range of 0.2 g to 0.4 g per kg of the hog's weight, and the hog's total ALA
intake is in the
range of 3.3 g to 5.6 g per kg of the hog's weight; slaughtering the hog;
processing the
hog into one or more pork products; and wherein that the pork products have an
enrichment of omega-3 EFAs in the range of about 2.5% to about 4.5% of fat.
[00012] Other aspects and features according to the present application will
become
apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following
description of
embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00013] Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing which shows, by
way of example, embodiments of the invention, and how they may be carried into
effect,
and in which:
[00014] Fig. 1 shows in flowchart form an exemplary method of feeding a hog
that
produces DHA and EPA enriched pork while avoiding negative effects to the
taste,
colour, texture, aroma, pH and shelf life significant enough to make the pork
unacceptable to consumers according to an embodiment.
[00015] Like reference numerals indicate like or corresponding elements in the
drawings.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[00016] Embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to a
premix and a
method of feeding a hog that produces DHA and EPA enriched pork while avoiding
or
reducing negative effects to the taste, colour, texture, aroma, pH and shelf
life which are
significant enough to make the pork unacceptable to consumers.
[00017] One way to make people more likely to meet their daily omega-3 EFA and
selenium recommended dietary allowances is to enrich foods that people
typically
consume. While omega-3 EFAs are found in fish and other marine matter, it is
beneficial
to enrich other foods that are regularly consumed by humans, such as pork.
[00018] EPA and DHA come primarily from marine sources, mainly fish that live
in
cold water. Fish high in omega-3 EFAs include: salmon, trout, white tuna, king
mackerel,
sea bass, halibut, herring, oysters and sardines. Algae (or algal oil) is also
high in EPA
and DHA.
[00019] ALA comes primarily from plant sources. Plant sources high in omega-3s
include algae (algal oil), flaxseed, English walnuts, sunflower seeds, canola
oil, safflower
oil, soy, wheat germ, dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach, parsley, etc.
and corn oil.
[00020] To increase the total omega-3 EFA concentrations in pork cuts using
marine-
sourced DHA and EPA and plant-sourced ALA, it is desirable to enrich the pork
to 2.5%
to 4.5% of fat as omega-3 EFA. It has been found that such a concentration
does not
negatively affect the taste, colour, texture, aroma, pH and/or shelf life of
the pork to an
extent that is commercially significant.

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[00021] Feeding hogs omega-3 EFA-containing diets for longer durations and
feeding
higher dietary levels of omega-3 EFAs to hogs increases omega-3 EFA
concentrations in
the pork. A good predictor of omega-3 EFA profiles in hogs, without
considering the
duration of feeding, is to consider the absolute amount of omega-3 EFA
consumed by the
hog. Longer durations of feeding to reach a certain absolute amount of omega-3
EFAs
tends to reduce the variability in the omega-3 EFA profile between hogs,
primarily due to
there being greater variability in a hog's feed intake across fewer days.
[00022] According to an embodiment, the levels of omega-3 EFAs among a
plurality
of hogs going to market at different times can be made more uniform by
stopping the
feeding of omega-3 EFAs to the hogs when the first hogs go to market and/or by
feeding
lower levels of omega-3 EFAs to the hogs for longer periods of time. It will
be
appreciated that once the meat goes to a processing facility for slaughter and
subsequent
processing, it is too late to alter the omega-3 EFA enrichment levels of the
meat.
[00023] According to an embodiment, a method for feeding a hog to enrich
resultant
pork products with omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) comprises feeding a
hog over a
period of time, typically, a period of several weeks (for example, in the
range of about 10
to 79 days) with a feed that includes marine-sourced docosahexaenoic acid
(DHA) and
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and plant-sourced alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), as
indicated
by reference 100 in Fig. 1. According to an embodiment, the hog feed has a
ratio of
omega-3 EFAs to omega-6 EFAs in the range of about 1:1 to about 1:4. According
to an
embodiment, a premix, such as a vitamin and mineral premix, or feed supplement
comprising marine-sourced DHA and EPA and plant-sourced ALA has been added to
the
feed. According to an embodiment, the premix has a ratio of omega-3 EFAs to
omega-6
EFAs in the range of about 3:1 to about 6:1. According to another embodiment,
the feed
contains marine-sourced DHA and EPA and plant-sourced ALA without a premix or
feed

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supplement having been added. According to an embodiment, the hog is fed the
feed until
the hog's total DHA intake is in the range of 0.3 g to 0.5 g per kg of the
hog's weight, as
indicated by reference 102. According to an embodiment, the hog is fed the
feed until the
hog's total EPA intake is in the range of 0.2 g to 0.4 g per kg of the hog's
weight, as
indicated by reference 104. According to an embodiment, the hog is fed the
feed until the
hog's total ALA intake is in the range of 3.3 g to 5.6 g per kg of the hog's
weight, as
indicated by reference 106 in Fig. 1. The next step as indicated by step 110
involves
slaughtering the hog, which may be done at a processing facility. Next the hog
is
processed into one or more types of pork products, as indicated by reference
120, which
also may be done at the processing facility. According to an embodiment of the
method,
the pork product ought to have an enrichment of omega-3 EFAs in the range of
about
2.5% to about 4.5% of fat.
[00024] Organic selenium may also be included in the vitamin and mineral
premix.
There is evidence that the use of organic selenium in the premix leads to
higher
concentrations of selenium in pork cuts, unlike the use of inorganic selenium
which tends
to only benefit the live animal. Moreover, organic selenium improves the shelf
life of the
pork product. As omega-3 enrichment tends to negatively impact the shelf life
of the pork
product, the improvement of the shelf life of the enriched pork product from
including
organic selenium may be commercially advantageous. There is also evidence
selenium
consumption has numerous health benefits for humans and animals, as discussed
above.
[00025] According to one aspect, the present invention provides an improved
enriched
food product and method for producing enriched food products that serves to
address
nutritional deficiencies while avoiding negative effects to the taste, colour,
texture,
aroma, pH and shelf life of the enriched food product which are significant
enough that
the enriched food product is unacceptable to consumers.

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[00026] The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without
departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Certain
adaptations and
modifications of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art.
Therefore, the
presently discussed embodiments are considered to be illustrative and not
restrictive, the
scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the
foregoing
description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of
equivalency of
the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.