Enterococci are considered valuable sentinel Gram-positive bacteria for monitoring vancomycin antibiotic resistance due to their widespread presence and characteristics. The use of antimicrobials in farming animals has a role in the increasing of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and the anthropogenic transformation of the landscape has forced wildlife into greater contact with humans and their livestock. The transmission of resistant bacteria by their meat products is a significant contributor to AMR development. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of vancomycin resistant Enterococci spp. In antimicrobial-treated farmed pigs meat and in antimicrobial-free wild boars meat. A total of 341 Enterococci were isolated from 598 pork meat samples (57 %) and 173 Enterococci were isolated from 404 wild boar meat samples (42.8 %). Data found showed that low-resistance was detected more in wild boars meat Enterococci (52.6 %) than in pork meat once (48.4 %). However, the prevalence of resistance genes was at low level (33.9 % in pork meat Enterococci and 4.4 % in wild boar meat ones) and the only gene found was vanC1/C2, related to intrinsic AMR. Normally, Enterococci persist in the normal intestinal flora of animals including humans. However, the presence of resistance genes was frequently linked to the detection of pathogenic genes, mostly gelE in pork meat isolates and asa1 in wild boars meat isolates. Pathogenic bacteria can cause severe infections in human that can become more risky if associated to the presence of AMR. Pathogenic bacteria were characterized and a high presence of E. gallinarum and E. casseliflavus was found. Given the growing interest in wild game meat consumption the monitoring of AMR in these matrices is essential. Further surveillance studies are needed to fully evaluate the emergence and spread of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) and pathogenic Enterococci from animal-derived food to humans, including the role of wildlife in this phenomenon. Giving the higher interest in wild animals meat consumption, it is important to better evaluate the spread of AMR phenomenon in the future and intensify hygienic control of wild animals derived food.

Meat has been part of the human diet for centuries and it is a recognizable source of high-biologic-value protein and several micronutrients; however, its consumption has been associated with an increased risk of non-communicable diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, cancer). These concerns are mostly related to red meat. However, meat composition is quite variable within species and meat cuts. The present study explores the composition of pork meat, and the differences among different pork meat cuts and it reviews the evidence on the influence of its consumption on health outcomes. Pork meat contributes to 30% of all meat consumed worldwide and it offers a distinct nutrient profile; it is rich in high-quality protein, B-complex vitamins, and essential minerals such as zinc and iron, though it contains moderate levels of saturated fat compared to beef. Additionally, research on sustainability points out advantages from pork meat consumption considering that it is a non-ruminant animal and is included in one of the five more sustainable dietary patterns. In what concerns the data on the influence of pork meat consumption on health outcomes, a few clinical studies have shown no harmful effects on cardiovascular risk factors, specifically blood lipids. Several arguments can justify that pork meat can be an option in a healthy and sustainable diet.

Eucommia ulmoides is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, with pharmacological effects such as lowering blood pressure and enhancing immune function. The effects of dietary Eucommia ulmoides polysaccharide (EUP) on immune function and meat quality were studied in Songliao Black Pigs. Blood lymphocyte counts and percentage, concentrations of serum total protein and of albumin increased, whereas those of urea nitrogen and triglyceride decreased. White blood cell and lymphocyte counts, and serum IgA, IgE, IgG2 a and IFN-γ increased. Average daily weight gain, slaughter weight, lean meat rate and cooked meat rate increased, whereas pH24, feed-weight ratio, fat rate, yellowness (b#) and centrifugal dehydration rate decreased. Transcriptome sequencing of longissimus dorsi muscle detected 32 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 26 were up-regulated and 6 down-regulated. A total of 19 genes were differentially expressed in the four groups, 18 of which were up-regulated. The DEGs included ADAMTS4, PER1, STAC, SERPINE1, FASN, THRSP, SP7 and KRT80 and the protein interaction network showed 20 up-regulated nodes, three down-regulated nodes and 14 DEGs. GO functional annotation and enrichment analysis showed that 34 items were significantly enriched, including transferase activity, actin binding, acetyl coenzyme A, acyl coenzyme A metabolism, adipose tissue development and acyl glycerol homeostasis. KEGG pathway analysis showed that the AMPK and PPAR signaling pathways were enriched. Dietary Eucommia polysaccharide enhanced immune function in Songliao Black Pigs, improved growth and carcass performance, increased the expression of genes related to meat quality traits and improved meat quality.

Nontyphoidal Salmonella is one of the major causes of self-limiting diarrheal disease and the most common foodborne pathogen worldwide. It is an important contributor to the burden of foodborne illness in South America, including Peru, where chicken and pork are important vehicles for Salmonella infection. Salmonella infections are underreported, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where concerted action tackling Salmonella along the chicken and pork chains, from primary production to retail, is urgently needed. To support and inform the implementation of new strategies to reduce Salmonella contamination of chicken and pork, this study describes the frequency and distribution of foodborne outbreaks attributed to Salmonella in Peru and evaluates the level of Salmonella in chicken and pork meat sold in markets of three regions of Peru. To that end, we analyzed historical reports of foodborne outbreaks, levels of Salmonella in chicken and pork sold in markets, and the number of mesophiles in the collected meat samples. As a result, the microbiological analysis reveals a widespread contamination of chicken (77.1%) and pork (26.8%) with Salmonella. It also pinpoints Salmonella as the causative agent in nearly half of the outbreaks (47.0%) where the potential origin is identified over a 11-year period with chicken, mayonnaise, and pork being the most likely food vehicles. These results suggest that Salmonella is a major contributor to foodborne illness in Peru and that the monitoring of mesophiles could be a good strategy for surveillance, generating data to support source attribution studies and ultimately evidence-informed policies.

Salmonella enterica causes severe food-borne infections through contamination of the food supply chain. Its evolution has been associated with human activities, especially animal husbandry. Advances in intensive farming and global transportation have substantially reshaped the pig industry, but their impact on the evolution of associated zoonotic pathogens such as S. enterica remains unresolved. Here we investigated the population fluctuation, accumulation of antimicrobial resistance genes and international serovar Choleraesuis transmission of nine pig-enriched S. enterica populations comprising more than 9,000 genomes. Most changes were found to be attributable to the developments of the modern pig industry. All pig-enriched salmonellae experienced host transfers in pigs and/or population expansions over the past century, with pigs and pork having become the main sources of S. enterica transmissions to other hosts. Overall, our analysis revealed strong associations between the transmission of pig-enriched salmonellae and the global pork trade.

This study aimed to investigate the volatile flavor compounds and tastes of six kinds of sauced pork from the southwest and eastern coastal areas of China using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectroscopy (GC-IMS) combined with an electronic nose (E-nose) and electronic tongue (E-tongue). The results showed that the combined use of the E-nose and E-tongue could effectively identify different kinds of sauced pork. A total of 52 volatile flavor compounds were identified, with aldehydes being the main flavor compounds in sauced pork. The relative odor activity value (ROAV) showed that seven key volatile compounds, including 2-methylbutanal, 2-ethyl-3, 5-dimethylpyrazine, 3-octanone, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, dimethyl disulfide, 2,3-butanedione, and heptane, contributed the most to the flavor of sauced pork (ROAV ≥1). Multivariate data analysis showed that 13 volatile compounds with the variable importance in projection (VIP) values > 1 could be used as flavor markers to distinguish six kinds of sauced pork. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant link between the E-nose sensor and alcohols, aldehydes, terpenes, esters, and hetero-cycle compounds. The results of the current study provide insights into the volatile flavor compounds and tastes of sauced pork. Additionally, intelligent sensory technologies can be a promising tool for discriminating different types of sauced pork.

The food systems sustainability framework has 4 domains: nutrition, economics, environment, and society. To qualify as sustainable, individual foods and total diets need to be nutrient-rich, affordable, environmentally friendly, and socially acceptable. Pork is the most consumed meat globally, providing high-quality protein and several priority micronutrients. With research attention focused on plant-based diets, it is time to assess the place of pork meat protein in the global sustainability framework. First, not all proteins are equal. The United States Department of Agriculture category of protein foods includes meat, poultry and fish, eggs, beans and legumes, and nuts and seeds. These protein sources have different protein digestibility profiles, different per-calorie prices, and different environmental footprints, measured in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Second, most analyses of animal-source proteins combine beef, pork, and lamb into a single category of red meat. Beef, pork, and lamb have different nutrient profiles, different protein costs, and different impacts on the environment. Future analyses of nutrient density and monetary and carbon costs of alternative diets would do well to separate pork from beef, lamb, and chicken. There are also different profiles of global food demand. Prior analyses of global Food and Agriculture Organization Statistical Database food balance sheets joined with World Bank country incomes have consistently shown that rising incomes across lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC) create a growing demand for meat to replace traditional plant proteins. Most of the observed increase has been for pork and chicken rather than beef. This ongoing LMIC protein transition toward more animal proteins may be irreversible as long as incomes grow. The present analyses explore the place of pork in sustainable healthy diets worldwide, given the need for high-quality protein and the predictable patterns of global food demand.

In this study, the fatty acids and elemental profiles of 53 pork cut samples were determined. To offer insights into their potential health implications, we computed 18 key nutritional indices. These indices included parameters such as saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), the MUFAs/SFAs ratio, PUFAs/SFAs ratio, atherogenic index (AI), thrombogenic index (TI), the hypocholesterolemic to hypercholesterolemic ratio (h/H), health-promoting index (HPI), hypocholesterolemic index (HI), unsaturation index (UI), saturation index (SI), peroxidizability index (PI), nutritional value index (NVI), hypocholesterolemic index of fatty acids (DFAs), hypercholesterolemic index of fatty acids (OFAs), and the DFAs/OFAs ratio. These indices were calculated based on their fatty acid composition to provide comprehensive nutritional information. A health risk assessment revealed the safety and minimum health risk for the population from consuming the investigated pork cuts using the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), Hazard Index (HI), and target cancer risk (TR). The ANOVA test showed significant differences in the levels of K, Fe, Mn, Zn, MUFAs, and AI among the pork cut samples. It was noted that by employing the correlation between the fatty acids profile, nutritional indices, and elemental concentrations and an unsupervised statistical method, such as PCA, a perfect separation from the different pork cuts could not be obtained.

Pork backfat (PB) contains excessive saturated fatty acids (SFAs), but lacks polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Excessive SFAs can be used as a substrate for the growth of certain microorganisms that convert them into PUFAs and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and the added value of PB can be enhanced. In this study, Mucor circinelloides CBS 277.49 and Lactiplantacillus plantarum CGMCC 24189 were co-cultured for conversion of PB into fermented pork backfat (FPB) with high level of PUFAs. Our results showed that the content of γ-linolenic acid (GLA) and linoleic acid (LA) in the surface of FPB reached 9.04 ± 0.14 mg/g and 107.31 ± 5.16 mg/g for 7-day fermentation, respectively. To convert the internal SFAs of PB, ultrasound combined with papain was used to promote the penetrative growth of M. circinelloides into the internal PB, and the GLA level in the third layer of fat reached 2.58 ± 0.31 mg/g FPB. The internal growth of M. circinelloides in PB was promoted by adjusting the oxygen rate and ventilation rate through the wind velocity sensor. When the oxygen rate is 2 m/s and the ventilation rate is 18 m3/h, the GLA level in the third layer of fat reached 4.13 ± 1.01 mg/g FPB. To further improve the level of PUFAs in PB, FPB was produced by M. circinelloides at 18 °C. The GLA content on the surface of FPB reached 15.73 ± 1.13 mg/g FPB, and the GLA yield in the second and third layers of fat reached 8.68 ± 1.77 mg/g FPB and 6.13 ± 1.28 mg/g FPB, the LA yield in the second and third layers of fat reached 105.45 ± 5.01 mg/g FPB and 98.46 ± 4.14 mg/g FPB, respectively. These results suggested that excessive SFAs in PB can be converted into PUFAs and provided a new technique for improving PUFAs in FPB. KEY POINTS: • This article achieved the conversion of PUFAs in pork backfat by Mucor circinelloides CBS 277.49 and Lactiplantacillus plantarum CGMCC 24189. • This article solved the internal growth of M. circinelloides CBS277.49 in pork backfat by ultrasound combined with papain. • This article proposed an innovative of promoting the internal growth of M. circinelloides and increasing the PUFAs production by oxygen ventilation in pork backfat.

Pigs are a primary source of meat, accounting for over 30% of global consumption. Consumers\' preferences are determined by health considerations, paying more attention to foodstuffs quality, animal welfare, place of origin, and swine feeding regime, and being willing to pay a higher price for a product from a certain geographical region. In this study, the isotopic fingerprints (δ2H, δ18O, and δ13C) and 29 elements of loin pork meat samples were corroborated with chemometric methods to obtain the most important variables that could classify the samples\' geographical origin. δ2H and δ18O values ranged from -71.0 to -21.2‱, and from -9.3 to -2.8‱, respectively. The contents of macro- and micro-essential elements are presented in the following order: K > Na > Mg > Ca > Zn > Fe > Cu > Cr. The LDA model assigned in the initial classification showed 91.4% separation of samples, while for the cross-validation procedure, a percentage of 90% was obtained. δ2H, K, Rb, and Pd were identified as the most representative parameters to differentiate the pork meat samples coming from Romania vs. those from abroad. The mean values of metal concentrations were used to estimate the potential health risks associated with the consumption of pork meat The results showed that none of the analyzed metals (As, Cd, Sn, Pb, Cu, and Zn) pose a carcinogenic risk.