Effects of Outdoor Housing of Piglets on Behavior, Stress Reaction and Meat Characteristics

Well-designed housing systems are important from the viewpoint of animal welfare and improvement of meat production. In this study, we investigated the effects of outdoor housing of pigs on their behavior, cortisol levels, and meat characteristics. Two groups that were born and raised in a spacious outdoor pen (4×10 m for every two sows) or a minimum-sized standard pen in a piggery (1.9×2.2 m for every sow) were studied. When their behaviors at the age of 2 to 3 wk were observed, the number of rooting episodes tended to be larger (p = 0.0509) and the total time of rooting tended to be longer (p = 0.0640) in the outdoor-housed piglets although the difference was not significant. Basal salivary cortisol levels of the outdoor piglets at the age of 4 wk were significantly lower than those of the indoor piglets (5.0±0.59 ng/ml vs. 11.6±0.91 ng/ml, 30 min after treatment), although their plasma cortisol levels were similar (53.3±3.54 ng/ml vs. 59.9±4.84 ng/ml, 30 min after treatment). When the ears were pierced at weaning, plasma and salivary cortisol levels were increased in both groups, even at 15 min after piercing. However, the increase in the outdoor-housed group was significantly less than that in the indoor-housed group. Throughout their lives, body weight and daily gain of the pigs were not significantly different between the two groups. In a meat taste preference test taken by 20 panelists, saltiness, flavor, and color of the outdoor-housed pork were found to be more acceptable. Moreover, when an electronic taste-sensing device was utilized, the C00 and CPA-C00 outputs (3.78±0.07 and −0.20±0.023), which correspond to compounds of bitterness and smells, respectively, were significantly lower in the outdoor-housed pork (5.03±0.16 and −0.13±0.009). Our results demonstrate that the outdoor housing system for piglets induces natural behaviors such as rooting and suppresses the strongest stress reaction of piglets, which could be important for animal welfare. Moreover, the outdoor housing system might change muscle characteristics and improve pork bitterness, flavor, and color. These changes may be preferred by consumers, increasing the sale of these meats

Effect of Sucrose Esters on the Crystallization Behavior of Bulk Oil Systems

Sucrose esters (SE) of FA can be used in foods as emulsifiers because they are nontoxic, tasteless, odorless, and are digested to sucrose and FA in the stomach. They can also be used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics and in other products where a nonionic, nontoxic, biodegradable emulsifier is required. In addition to their major function of producing and stabilizing emulsions, SE have numerous other functional roles as texturizers, film formers, and modifiers of bulk-phase crystallization behavior (with bulk phase meaning a homogeneous oil phase). A few reports have dealt with the effect of SE on the crystallization behavior of fats and oils in bulk systems; however, some of these results vary and may be contradictory. It is of great interest to study the effects of SE on bulk fat systems, particularly with regard to their use in products such as chocolate and confections