{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]],"date-time":"2026-03-19T21:47:02Z","timestamp":1773956822223,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]],"date-time":"2026-03-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773878400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    This study evaluated the influence of sire genetic merit for residual feed intake (RFI) on carcass and ham quality traits in heavy pigs raised under the restricted feeding conditions typical of Protected Designation of Origin dry-cured ham production. A total of 417 purebred C21 Goland pigs, offspring of 23 sires, were randomly assigned to\n                    <jats:italic>ad libitum<\/jats:italic>\n                    , restricted medium-protein, or restricted low-protein dietary treatments. Sire breeding values (EBV) for RFI were estimated using RFI records of\n                    <jats:italic>ad libitum<\/jats:italic>\n                    -fed progeny between 96 and 161 kg body weight. Sires were classified into three RFI groups: low EBV (LRFI), medium EBV (MRFI), and high EBV (HRFI). Effects of RFI sire groups were estimated on traits recorded on the restricted-fed progeny. Progeny of LRFI sires exhibited differences in carcass traits, including a significantly higher carcass weight gain (+0.03 kg\/day, corresponding to +7.3%; p&lt;\u20090.01) and increased green ham yield (+1.3%, p\u2009&lt;\u20090.05), compared to those of HRFI sires. LRFI progeny showed no differences in ham fat depth, but exhibited improved subcutaneous fat quality, including higher saturation (increased stearic acid, reduced linoleic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids) and lower iodine number, as well as firmer subcutaneous fat. No variation in ham weight loss during dry-curing was observed across RFI sire groups. These findings suggest that selection for improved RFI does not significantly compromise carcass and dry-cured ham quality in restricted-fed heavy pigs. Incorporating RFI into selection objectives for sire lines could therefore provide a viable strategy for balancing production efficiency and product quality in heavy pig systems. These findings apply to restricted-fed heavy pigs of the population studied, and potential genotype\u2009\u00d7\u2009feeding regime interactions may limit direct extrapolation to other genetic backgrounds or production systems.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0345035","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]],"date-time":"2026-03-19T17:36:13Z","timestamp":1773941773000},"page":"e0345035","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Genetic merit of sires for ad libitum residual feed intake has no adverse effects on carcass and ham quality traits of restricted-fed heavy pigs"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Chiara","family":"Mondin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sara","family":"Faggion","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3970-5764","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Valentina","family":"Bonfatti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Luigi","family":"Gallo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2975-0385","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Diana","family":"Giannuzzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5539-8947","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Stefano","family":"Schiavon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Paolo","family":"Carnier","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]]},"reference":[{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0345035.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"996","DOI":"10.2527\/jas.2010-3493","article-title":"Muscle characteristics and meat quality traits are affected by divergent selection on residual feed intake in pigs","volume":"89","author":"L Lefaucheur","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Anim Sci"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"903733","DOI":"10.3389\/fgene.2022.903733","article-title":"Application of genetic, genomic and biological pathways in improvement of swine feed efficiency","volume":"13","author":"P Davoudi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Genet"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"486","DOI":"10.2527\/jas1963.222486x","article-title":"Efficiency of feed use in beef cattle","volume":"22","author":"RM Koch","year":"1963","journal-title":"J Anim Sci"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.3920\/9789086867561_009","article-title":"The genetic and biological basis of residual feed intake as a measure of feed efficiency.","author":"JM Young","year":"2012","journal-title":"Feed efficiency in swine. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0345035.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1427","DOI":"10.1017\/S175173111600286X","article-title":"Review: divergent selection for residual feed intake in the growing pig","volume":"11","author":"H Gilbert","year":"2017","journal-title":"Animal"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345035.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"192","DOI":"10.2527\/jas.2010-2861","article-title":"Effects of selection for decreased residual feed intake on composition and quality of fresh pork","volume":"89","author":"RM Smith","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Anim Sci"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0345035.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2542","DOI":"10.2527\/jas.2012-5687","article-title":"Genetics of residual feed intake in growing pigs: Relationships with production traits, and nitrogen and phosphorus excretion traits","volume":"91","author":"R Saintilan","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Anim Sci"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"309","DOI":"10.4081\/ijas.2004.309","article-title":"The production of the heavy pig for high quality processed products","volume":"3","author":"P Bosi","year":"2004","journal-title":"Ital J Anim Sci"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100383","DOI":"10.1016\/j.animal.2021.100383","article-title":"Review: Pork quality attributes from farm to fork. Part II. Processed pork products","volume":"16","author":"B Lebret","year":"2022","journal-title":"Animal"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0345035.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.1017\/S1751731111001625","article-title":"Factors in pig production that impact the quality of dry-cured ham: a review","volume":"6","author":"M Candek-Potokar","year":"2012","journal-title":"Animal"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref011","author":"AHDB","year":"2022"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"130","DOI":"10.1016\/j.livsci.2013.12.027","article-title":"Growth performance of heavy pigs fed restrictively diets with decreasing crude protein and indispensable amino acids content","volume":"161","author":"L Gallo","year":"2014","journal-title":"Livest Sci"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"170","DOI":"10.1016\/j.anifeedsci.2015.07.009","article-title":"Growth performance, and carcass and raw ham quality of crossbred heavy pigs from four genetic groups fed low protein diets for dry-cured ham production","volume":"208","author":"S Schiavon","year":"2015","journal-title":"Animal Feed Sci Tech"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0345035.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0312307","article-title":"Genetic merit of sires for ad libitum residual feed intake affects feed efficiency of restricted-fed heavy pigs but not body weight gain tissue composition","volume":"19","author":"C Mondin","year":"2024","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2447","DOI":"10.3390\/ani11082447","article-title":"The implications of changing age and weight at slaughter of heavy pigs on carcass and green ham quality traits","volume":"11","author":"IH Malgwi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Animals"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109266","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meatsci.2023.109266","article-title":"Impact of innovative rearing strategies for the Italian heavy pigs: technological traits and chemical composition of dry-cured hams","volume":"204","author":"A Toscano","year":"2023","journal-title":"Meat Sci"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345035.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100073","DOI":"10.1016\/j.animal.2020.100073","article-title":"On-site visible-near IR prediction of iodine number and fatty acid composition of subcutaneous fat of raw hams as phenotypes for a heavy pig breeding program","volume":"15","author":"V Bonfatti","year":"2021","journal-title":"Animal"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref018","article-title":"Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo","author":"European Commission","year":"1992","journal-title":"Protected Designation of Origin"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0345035.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101633","DOI":"10.1016\/j.animal.2025.101633","article-title":"Ham weight loss and its dynamics in pigs from sires diverging in estimated breeding value for infrared-predicted ham weight loss","volume":"19","author":"V Bonfatti","year":"2025","journal-title":"Animal"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref020","first-page":"153","article-title":"Statistical problems in population dynamics.","volume-title":"Proceedings of the fourth berkeley symposium on mathematical statistics and probability","author":"DG. Chapman","year":"1961"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref021","author":"R Core Team","year":"2023"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0345035.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"587","DOI":"10.1007\/s00217-015-2490-2","article-title":"Manufacture of dry-cured ham: a review. Part 1. Biochemical changes during the technological process","volume":"241","author":"I Petrova","year":"2015","journal-title":"Eur Food Res Technol"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref023","author":"I Misztal","year":"2014"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345035.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meatsci.2012.07.006","article-title":"Consequences of divergent selection for residual feed intake in pigs on muscle energy metabolism and meat quality","volume":"93","author":"J Faure","year":"2013","journal-title":"Meat Sci"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0345035.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2530","DOI":"10.2527\/jas.2014-8546","article-title":"Composition and quality characteristics of carcasses from pigs divergently selected for residual feed intake on high- or low-energy diets","volume":"93","author":"EK Arkfeld","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Anim Sci"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114450","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2024.114450","article-title":"Effects of slaughter weight and backfat depth on trimming, curing, and deboning losses and quality traits of Italian dry-cured ham","volume":"188","author":"S Schiavon","year":"2024","journal-title":"Food Res Int"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref027","author":"Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma","year":"2023"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref028","volume-title":"Suinicoltura italiana e costo di produzione","year":"2010"},{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0345035.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3182","DOI":"10.2527\/jas.2006-590","article-title":"Genetic parameters for residual feed intake in growing pigs, with emphasis on genetic relationships with carcass and meat quality traits","volume":"85","author":"H Gilbert","year":"2007","journal-title":"J Anim Sci"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0345035.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1344","DOI":"10.1017\/S175173111100036X","article-title":"Effects of ad libitum and restricted feeding on early production performance and body composition of Yorkshire pigs selected for reduced residual feed intake","volume":"5","author":"N Boddicker","year":"2011","journal-title":"Animal"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345035.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"40","DOI":"10.2527\/jas.2010-3106","article-title":"Effects of ad libitum and restricted feed intake on growth performance and body composition of Yorkshire pigs selected for reduced residual feed intake","volume":"89","author":"N Boddicker","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Anim Sci"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114611","DOI":"10.1016\/j.anifeedsci.2020.114611","article-title":"Improvement of feed and nutrient efficiency in pig production through precision feeding","volume":"268","author":"C Gaillard","year":"2020","journal-title":"Animal Feed Sci Tech"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref033","article-title":"Partitioning of energy intake to heat, protein, and fat in growing pigs","volume":"81","author":"J van Milgen","year":"2003","journal-title":"J Anim Sci"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0345035.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"331","DOI":"10.1016\/S0309-1740(02)00118-3","article-title":"Muscle traits for long matured dried meats","volume":"62","author":"R Virgili","year":"2002","journal-title":"Meat Sci"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.2527\/jas2001.79E-SupplE316x","article-title":"Swine nutrition and pork quality: a review","volume":"79","author":"J Pettigrew","year":"2001","journal-title":"J Anim Sci"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0345035.ref036","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"284","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meatsci.2005.03.024","article-title":"Instrumental colour of Iberian ham subcutaneous fat and lean (biceps femoris): Influence of crossbreeding and rearing system","volume":"71","author":"AI Carrapiso","year":"2005","journal-title":"Meat Sci"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345035.ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meatsci.2004.06.010","article-title":"Influence of genetic type, live weight at slaughter and carcass fatness on fatty acid composition of subcutaneous adipose tissue of raw ham in the heavy pig","volume":"69","author":"DPL Fiego","year":"2005","journal-title":"Meat Sci"},{"issue":"15","key":"pone.0345035.ref038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2445","DOI":"10.3390\/ani13152445","article-title":"Genetic correlations between boar taint compound concentrations in fat of purebred boars and production and ham quality traits in crossbred heavy pigs","volume":"13","author":"S Faggion","year":"2023","journal-title":"Animals (Basel)"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345035.ref039","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"194","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meatsci.2005.04.022","article-title":"Mechanisms of water-holding capacity of meat: The role of postmortem biochemical and structural changes","volume":"71","author":"E Huff-Lonergan","year":"2005","journal-title":"Meat Sci"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0345035.ref040","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"351","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meatsci.2005.04.015","article-title":"The relationship between muscle fiber characteristics, postmortem metabolic rate, and meat quality of pig longissimus dorsi muscle","volume":"71","author":"YC Ryu","year":"2005","journal-title":"Meat Sci"},{"key":"pone.0345035.ref041","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"522","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2014.06.013","article-title":"Quantitative study of the relationships among proteolysis, lipid oxidation, structure and texture throughout the dry-cured ham process","volume":"166","author":"R Harkouss","year":"2015","journal-title":"Food Chem"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0345035.ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"579","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meatsci.2005.02.007","article-title":"Relationship between water content, NaCl content, pH and texture parameters in dry-cured muscles","volume":"70","author":"J Ruiz-Ram\u00edrez","year":"2005","journal-title":"Meat Sci"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0345035","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]],"date-time":"2026-03-19T17:36:18Z","timestamp":1773941778000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0345035"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Aziz ur Rahman","family":"Muhammad","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]]},"references-count":42,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0345035","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]]}}}