That’s according to a study in China that was conducted on 80 crossbred pigs of a common mix and split into four groups.
Over 48 experimental days, the control group was fed a standard diet and the other were given the same base diet but with differing amounts of fermented pine needle treatment.
At the end of the experiment, the pigs were processed and samples, such as blood and muscles were collected.
They found that the inclusion of fermented pine needles in the diet of finishing pigs resulted in superior meat traits, such as the tenderness and freshness of the meat.
The was evidence by lower shear force, hardness, chewiness, gumminess, and cohesiveness.
The 2.0% fermented pine needles treatment consistently showed the most significant improvements across multiple parameters.
This included increased pH value after 24 hours (pH24h), which impacts the overall quality in terms of freshness, colour, and tenderness.
Most carcass traits were similar across treatments but the 2.0% treatment showed the most significant difference in carcass weight and dressing percentage compared to the control.
Crucially, the study found that the addition of fermented pine needles to the diet of the finishing pigs had no negative impact on the carcass characteristics.
The improved quality of the pork was linked to the enhanced antioxidant activity attributed to the fermented pine needles.
“The underlying mechanisms may be associated with the higher antioxidant enzyme activity and mRNA expression levels of antioxidant genes in the muscles of finishing pigs,” the researchers concluded.
“Further research is required to identify an optimal level of dietary fermented pine needles that has the best effects on pig carcass performance and improves meat traits and to reveal the underlying molecular and physiological mechanisms that govern these beneficial effects.”
Fermentation unlocks pine needle potential
Pine needles were studied as a potential supplement because of its reputation as a traditional herbal medicine and use as a feed additive.
They contain a diverse array of bioactive compounds and as a result, exhibit strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.
However, pine needles can be hard to digest because they also contain tannins, lignocellulose, phenols, and phytates.
As such, fermentation has been employed to break down the pine needles to make it more digestible and make the beneficial compounds more available.
The pine needles were fermented with Aspergillus niger which helped to unlock the potential of pine needles as a feed additive.
High quality pork in high demand
The study investigated the impact of fermented pine needs in finishing pigs as high-quality pork is growing in demand.
“Consumers not only have an increasingly strong preference for finishing pigs and their meat products, but also now attach greater importance to the quality and flavour of pork.”
As such, there is growing research on the diet of pigs and its effect on pork production and how producers can better meet market demand.
The quality of pork is assessed through various factors, including meat colour, shear force, fat content, and marbling scores – all of which significantly influences the consumers’ purchasing decision.
Source: Foods 2025
Effects of Feed Supplemented with Fermented Pine Needles (Pinus ponderosa) on Carcass Quality, Meat Quality, and Antioxidant Capacity of Growing–Finishing Pigs
Authors: Wenfeng Ma, Zhuo Ma , Pei Mao, Xiaoli Zhang, Xiaohong Wu, Mengmeng Gao and Qiujue Wu.
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14122046
