Pearls before Swine: Plant-Derived Wastes to Produce Low-Cholesterol Meat from Farmed Pigs-A Bibliometric Analysis Combined to Meta-Analytic Studies

Due to environmental and human factors, there is a growing amount of agri-food waste worldwide. The European Commission is incentivizing a zero-waste policy by 2025, pushing to find a second life for at least the avoidable ones. In this review, after summarizing the nutritional values of pork and the importance of its inclusion in human diet, a phylogenetic analysis was conducted to investigate potential differences in the structure and activity of HMGCR, which is a key enzyme in cholesterol metabolism. In addition, a bibliometric analysis combined with visual and meta-analytical studies on 1047 scientific articles was conducted to understand whether the inclusion of agro-food waste could affect the growth performance of pigs and reduce cholesterol levels in pork. Although some critical issues were highlighted, the overall data suggest a modern and positive interest in the reuse of agri-food waste as swine feed. However, although interesting and promising results have been reported in several experimental trials, further investigation is needed, since animal health and meat quality are often given marginal consideration.

Automated summary

Due to environmental and human factors, there is an increasing amount of agri-food waste globally. The European Commission aims to achieve a zero-waste policy by 2025 and is actively seeking alternative uses for avoidable waste. This review conducted a phylogenetic analysis to explore potential differences in the activity and structure of the key cholesterol metabolism enzyme HMGCR and combined a bibliometric analysis with visual and meta-analytical studies on 1047 scientific articles to investigate the impact of incorporating agro-food waste on pig growth performance and pork cholesterol levels. While there are some critical issues, overall data indicate a modern and positive interest in reusing agri-food waste as swine feed. However, further research is needed to address animal health and meat quality concerns.