Environmental impacts on n-3 content of foods from ruminant animals

This chapter explains how increased consumption of long-chain n-3 polyenoic fatty acids (PUFA) would be beneficial in reducing the incidence of chronic disease. It discusses how production systems, including organic, containing a higher proportion of forage compared to conventional concentrates generally result in a higher content of n-3 PUFA in food products. More botanically diverse forages also impact positively on fatty acids in meat and milk and merit further research. The transfer of alpha-linolenic acid from forage through to meat and milk is dependent on two important processes: (i) increasing the level of alpha-linolenic acid in the forage (and hence into the animal); and (ii) reducing the extent of ruminal biohydrogenation. Research should focus on increasing our understanding of these two major critical control points to increase delivery of alpha-linolenic acid from forage through to meat and milk.