Additional vitamin E in the ration for fattening pigs, Part 1. Fattening performance and consumer preferences

In a joint project of the companies Hoffmann-la Roche, Micarna SA and the Swiss Federal Research Station for Animal Production (RAP), the effect of an additional vitamin E supplementation of 100 mg/kg in a standard diet on pork quality parameters and purchasing habits of consumers was investigated. The control treatment consisted of a standard diet containing 40 mg of vitamin EA9 feed which was compared to the experimental diet supplemented with additional 100 mg of vitamin E. The project included three parts: a fattening trial, a sale test of pork chops and an evaluation of meat and fat quality. With respect to fattening performance and carcass traits, no significant differences existed. The hypothesis according to which the vitamin E increase from 40 mg to 140 mg/kg changes the choice habits of consumers by means of an improved meat color was not confirmed. The results concerning meat and fat quality are published in part 11 (Dufey 1998*). The fattening trial and the pork chop sale test strongly support the correctness of the current vitamin E feeding recommendations.