Modifying milk and meat fat quality through feed changes

- Type of fat and forage affects milk and meat fatty acid composition.
- Food industry by-products could help to improve milk and meat quality.
- Grape pomace improved the fatty acid composition of milk and meat.
- Grape pomace improved oxidative stability of lamb meat.

Feeding is the major factor affecting the quality of sheep products (milk and meat). The feeding strategies useful for increasing the levels of healthy fatty acids (FA), such as conjugated linoleic acid and omega-3 FA, in milk and meat in the human diet are reported. The addition of supplements rich in oils and the level and quality of forage seem to be valuable tools for influencing the fatty acid composition of milk and lamb meat. The use of alternative feed resources such as grape pomace, rich in phenolic compounds, in sheep and lamb diets and their effects on meat FA composition and oxidative stability are also discussed.