Context

The need for protein-providing raw materials for feed is increasing year by year, and insufficient production of these raw materials in the European Union makes it the world’s largest soybean meal importer. One way to minimise the risk posed by the high cost of and dependence on soybeans, while also aiming to increase protein self-sufficiency, is to use alternative protein sources, such as local legumes adapted to the Mediterranean climate, with low water requirements. In this context, the pilot project consisted of replacing soybeans with peas, taking into account the so-called anti-nutritional factors of peas (mainly protease inhibitors, such as trypsin), by increasing the inclusion of peas during fattening (20%, 30% and 40% at start, growth and finishing), and assessing the effect on production parameters and the quality of the fresh and cured meat. The results showed that including up to 40% pea in the diet of a pig slaughtered at 140 kg is biologically feasible and an alternative to imported soybeans, as the slaughter weight and carcass weight were equal to pigs fed on soybeans. Although at the end of the completion phase, peas provided a higher conversion rate than soybeans, the cost of the diets would be the same or lower if peas were available throughout the year. Nor were there any significant differences in carcass quality or percentage of fat infiltration in the meat. In the sensory analysis of the cured pork products from pea-fed pigs, consumers rated the taste attributes, chewiness, juiciness and overall assessment positively, with no negative differences compared to the soybean control diet.