Recent health recommendations regarding fat intake have highlighted the importance of consuming polyunsaturated fatty acids (British Nutrition Foundation, 1992) in a manner which takes into consideration the physiologically competitive n-6 and n-3 fatty acid families. Through dietary modification, pig meat and meat products provide a valuable contribution toward this aim (Morgan et al, 1992) although concerns relating to changes in physical and taste properties are hindrances to commercial acceptance. The aim of this investigation was therefore to obtain information on the optimum length of time required to significantly alter the fatty acid composition of pig meat without incurring deleterious physical effects.