Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: F005
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.F005
Published online: 22 April 2026
Assessment of the safety and nutritional value of porcine by-products
Ignė Juknienė*, Gintarė Zaborskienė and Rimvydas Falkauskas
Department of Food Safety and Quality, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 9 Mickeviciaus St., LT-44307 Kaunas, Lithuania
* Corresponding author: igne.jukniene@lsmu.lt
Determining the nutritional value and safety of animal by-products is essential for evaluating their suitability for human consumption, ensuring consumer health protection, and promoting the rational utilization of these raw materials within the food chain. In all porcine by-products, the concentrations of mercury and lead were below the limit of detection (<LOD), whereas cadmium was not detected in the lungs and heart but was present in the liver (0.08 ±0.01 mg/kg) and at significantly higher levels in the kidneys (0.42 ±0.01 mg/kg) (p<0.05).
Microbiological analysis of porcine by-products revealed that the total aerobic mesophilic count ranged from 3.41 to 4.48 log₁₀ CFU/g, while Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were not detected in any samples. Additionally, no organochlorine pesticide residues were identified, as all analyzed compounds were below their respective limits of detection (LOD).
Regarding nutritional composition, the liver exhibited the highest protein content (18.6 ±0.01%), whereas the heart showed the highest fat content (8.4 ±0.02%). Statistically significant differences among the organs were observed (p<0.05).
Keywords: food safety assessment; heavy metals; porcine by-products
How to cite
Juknienė I., Zaborskienė G., Falkauskas R., 2026. Assessment of the safety and nutritional value of porcine by-products. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.F005