-Meat fatty acid composition is influenced by genetic factors, although to a lower extent than dietary factors. The species is the major source of variation in fatty acid composition with ruminant meats being more saturated as a result of biohydrogenation in the rumen compared to the meat of monogastric animals. The level of fatness also has an effect on the meat fatty acid composition. The contents of saturated (SFA) and monounsaturated (MUFA) fatty acids increase faster with increasing fatness than does the content of PUFA, resulting in a decrease in the relative proportion of PUFA and consequently in the polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids (P/S) ratio. The dilution of phospholipids with triacylglycerols and the distinct differences in fatty acid composition of these fractions explain the decrease in the P/S ratio with increasing fatness. An exponential model was fitted to the literature data for beef and showed a sharply increasing P/S ratio at low levels of intramuscular fat. Lowering the fat level of beef is thus more efficient in increasing the P/S ratio than dietary interventions. For pork, the intramuscular fat level also affects the P/S ratio, but nutrition will have a larger impact. The fat level also influences the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio, due to the difference of this ratio in polar and neutral lipids. However, these effects are much smaller than the effects that can be achieved by dietary means. Differences in fatty acid composition between breeds and genotypes can be largely explained by differences in fatness. However, after correction for fat level, breed or genotype differences in the MUFA/SFA ratio and in the longer chain C20 and C22 PUFA metabolism have been reported, reflecting the possible genetic differences in fatty acid metabolism. Breed differences in meat conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content have not yet been reported, but the c9t11CLA content in meat is positively related to the total fat content. Heritabilities and genetic correlations for the proportion of certain fatty acids have been estimated in a few studies, and correspond to the observations at the phenotypic level in relation to the intramuscular fat level. Although there is potential for genetic change, incorporating fatty acid composition as a goal in classical breeding programs does not seem worthwhile at the present. Enzyme activities have been measured in a few studies, but are not able to explain between-animal variation in fatty acid composition. Biochemical and molecular genetic studies should be encouraged to unravel the mechanisms responsible for differences in the metabolism and incorporation of specific fatty acids in meat. Résumé -Influence des facteurs génétiques et de l'état d'engraissement sur la composition en acides gras de la viande. Revue. La composition en acides gras de la viande est affectée par divers facteurs : des facteurs nutritionnels, mais aussi des facteurs génétiques, quoiqu'à un degré moindre. L'espèce animale est également une source de variation importante, c'est même la plus important...

Inspired by the health conscious consumer, several studies in meat producing domesticated animals have been completed that have aimed at increasing the polyunsaturated fatty acid content, and in particular the n-3 or -3 long chain fatty acids, as well as the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content in intramuscular fat of beef, lamb and pork meat. Increasing the n-3 content in animal meats can be achieved by including fish oil/fish meal in the diet (i.e. rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)), linseed (oil) and/or forages (i.e. rich in linolenic acid (LNA)). Diets rich in LNA result in an increased level of LNA, EPA and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) in the meat, while in most cases no effect on intramuscular DHA level was observed. Increasing DHA contents in meat was mainly achieved when fish oil/fish meal was included in the animals diet. In most studies, an increased n-3 content in the intramuscular fat was accompanied with a decreased n-6 deposition, mainly due to a lower n-6 dietary supply between the treatments. This resulted in a more favourable n-6/n-3 ratio in the meat while the polyunsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid (P/S) ratio was less affected.Attempts to increase the intramuscular c9t11CLA content was accomplished by feeding ruminants n-3 rich diets (linseed either or not in combination with grass (silage)), fish oil or high concentrate diets rich in linoleic acid (LA). The c9t11CLA content in beef and lamb meat varied between 0.2 and 1.0 g/100 g of total fatty acids and was not increased to a high extent by nutri- Raes et al. / Animal Feed Science and Technology 113 (2004) 199-221 tional factors. In contrast, including CLA-oils consisting of several CLA isomers in the diet of monogastrics markedly increased the intramuscular CLA content.

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The effect of double-muscling (DM) genotype (double-muscling, mh/mh; heterozygous, mh/+; normal, +/+) of Belgian Blue (BB) young bulls on the intramuscular fatty acid composition, in particular conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was examined in five different muscles. The relative fatty acid composition showed only minor differences between muscles within genotypes. However, the DM genotype had a large effect on both the intramuscular total fatty acid content and on the relative fatty acid composition. Across muscles, the mh/mh animals had a lower total fatty acid content compared with the +/+animals (907 v: 2656 mg/100 g muscle;P< 0·01) and a higher PUFA proportion in total fatty acids (27·5 v 11·3 g/100 g total fatty acids;P< 0001), resulting in a higher PUFA/saturated fatty acid ratio (0·55 v 0·18;P< 0·01) and a lower n-6/n-3 ratio (5·34 v. 6·17;P< 0·01). The heterozygous genotype was intermediate between the two homozygous genotypes. The relative CLA content was similar in the mh/mh and +/+ genotypes and approximated 0·4 to 0·5 g/100 g total fatty acids. From the data it is further suggested that differences in the metabolism of the n-3 and n-6 fatty acids could exist between DM genotypes.