Nutrition and qualities of organic pork

Multiple quality properties

In France, organic pork production has increased  significantly in recent years but remains insufficient to meet the needs of European consumers. This development is supported by economic (INAPORC sector plan) and political actors at regional ("Bien manger pour tous"), national (Egalim law) and European levels (Green Pact, farm to table strategy) promoting sustainable food production (proximity of resources, circular bio-economy, organic farming...). In addition, the new European regulation on organic products, which came into effect at the beginning of 2022, reinforces the constraints relating to the feeding of pigs and leads to a diversification of feeding practices. The localisation of resources, the link to the territory and a better adjustment of nutritional intakes for animal feed are all factors to be taken into account. Indeed, the feed modulates, in conjunction with other farming factors (housing, genetics, etc.), the various intrinsic qualities (sensory, nutritional, technological, etc.) but also extrinsic qualities (societal image, ethics, environmental impact, etc.) of meat and processed pork products. There are therefore synergies and even antagonisms between quality properties. However, these multiple quality properties are not often analyzed together, whereas a global approach is necessary to identify levers for improving the different quality dimensions in order to facilitate transitions towards more sustainable food systems.

Study of the consequences of breeding practices on quality properties

My PhD subject is at the crossroads of new regulations for organic production and a transition towards responsible consumption. The hypothesis is that certain rearing practices, in particular the feeding strategy, can reinforce these interactions between the different dimensions of quality. The objective is then to evaluate the consequences of the rearing conditions of organic pigs on various quality properties of the products and on their variability by focusing on a food-nutrition component and on the evaluation of the quality of meat products. To carry out this work, a systemic cartography approach for the construction of scenarios between the quality dimensions and the constraints of the organic specifications, and an animal experiment will be carried out. The experimental part is conducted within the framework of the Casdar Farinelli (2020-2023) which is a research project aiming at improving the welfare of entire male pigs in organic farming and the valorisation of products from these animals. This part is performed at the experimental unit INRAE Genesi Porganic (86480 Rouillé) and the laboratory analyses in the UMR Pegase and partly at the University of Ghent (Belgium).
This work would provide scientific references to a wide audience in order to better understand the feeding of pigs in an approach of global quality of products for human consumption and multi-performance of the breeding, in organic production as in conventional production aiming at more agro-ecological practices.

Chloé Van Baelen is working on this thesis subject since November 2021 for 3 years in the Growth team. She is supervised by Bénédicte Lebret and Lucile Montagne.

Contact

Chloé Van Baelen : chloe.van-baelen[at]inrae.fr
Bénédicte Lebret : benedicte.lebret[at]inrae.fr
Lucile Montagne : lucile.montagne[at]agrocampus-ouest.fr

References

Prache, S., Adamiec, C., Astruc, T., Baéza-Campone, E., Bouillot, P.E., Clinquart, A., Feidt, C., Fourat, E., Gautron, J., Girard, A., Guillier, L., Kesse-Guyot, E., Lebret, B., Lefèvre, F., Le Perchec, S., Martin, B., Mirade, P.S., Pierre, F., Raulet, M., Rémond, D., Sans, P., Souchon, I., Donnars, C., Santé-Lhoutellier, V., 2021. Review: Quality of animal-source foods. Animal 100376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2021.100376
Prache, S., Santé-Lhoutellier, V., Adamiec, C., Astruc, T., Baéza-Campone, E., Bouillot PE., Clinquart A., Feidt C., Fourat E., Gautron J., Guillier L., Kesse -Guyot E., Lebret B., Lefevre F., Martin B., Mirade PS., Pierre F., Rémond D., Sans P., Souchon I., Girard A., Le Perchec S., Raulet M., Donnars C., 2020. Principes de conduite des expertises scientifiques collectives et des études à INRAE : L’expertise en éclairage des politiques publiques et du débat public. 63p.