Oleic Grain Feed Composition Reducing Drip Loss and Boar Taint

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Solution Overview

Problem

The meat industry faces challenges such as drip loss, unbalanced fatty acid composition, and boar taint in pig meat, which affect meat quality and consumer acceptance, and existing solutions like castration are not economically viable or consumer-friendly.

Innovation Solution

A feed composition containing high oleic sunflower grains or oil combined with dried chicory root powder is fed to animals to reduce drip loss, improve fatty acid composition, and decrease boar taint by increasing intramuscular fat and reducing oxidative stress.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If castration is used to reduce boar taint, then boar taint is reduced, but animal welfare is compromised and cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveboar taintVSAvoidanimal welfare impact
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical/castration method with a nutritional approach using feed supplements containing specific compounds (e.g., mycophenolic acid, green tea extract, or omega-3 fatty acids) that chemically inhibit boar taint formation through metabolic pathways, eliminating the need for physical castration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the animal's diet by introducing specific functional ingredients at controlled concentrations, which alters the metabolic production of boar taint compounds (skatole, indole, androsterone) without affecting animal welfare

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Stability of the object's composition

If high oleic acid oil is fed to improve fatty acid composition, then monounsaturated fatty acids increase, but polyunsaturated fatty acids decrease leading to softer carcass fat

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefatty acid compositionVSAvoidcarcass fat firmness
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite feed formulation combining high oleic acid oil with complementary ingredients (such as fat-soluble vitamins, antioxidants, and balanced fat sources) that work synergistically to improve fatty acid composition while maintaining carcass fat firmness through multiple biochemical mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Strength

If dietary fat is increased to improve intramuscular fat content, then meat tenderness improves, but drip loss increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeat tendernessVSAvoiddrip loss
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different nutritional strategies to different muscle groups and fat deposits, using localized delivery mechanisms and specific compounds that target intramuscular fat deposition in particular muscle areas while controlling overall drip loss through compounds that stabilize muscle cell membranes and reduce fluid leakage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4008191B1Impact of oleic grains or oil on the quality of meat of pigs, cattle or poultry
Publication Date: 2024.11.20 COSUCRA GRP WARCOING
  • EP4008191B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4008191B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4008191B1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention is situated in the field of animal feed compositions, more particularly in the field of feed compositions for improving the meat quality of pigs cattle and poultry. The invention provides the use of such a feed composition in farming of livestock.