Effects of dietary processed former foodstuffs on slaughter performance and meat quality in broilers

This study assessed the effects of incorporating commercially processed former foodstuffs (cFF) as substitutes for corn, soybean meal and soybean oil in broilers’ diet on slaughter performance, physicochemical properties and meat sensory attributes. Two hundred and one-day-old male chicks (ROSS-308) were divided into four dietary groups with increasing levels of cFF (0, 6.25%, 12.5% and 25%) named cFF0, cFF6.25, cFF12.5 and cFF25, respectively. On d 33, 25 chickens per dietary group were slaughtered for analyses. Carcase traits were similar across groups, except for a decrease in gizzard yield in cFF25 group (p = .008). Shear force, cooking loss and drip loss were unaffected by the diet. Meat pH decreased linearly in both breast and thigh muscles, and the thigh muscle yellowness index increased (p < .05). Breast crude protein (CP) decreased, while thigh CP and breast ether extract increased as the cFF inclusion level rose (p < .05). The fatty acid (FA) content of breast and thigh meat showed a linear increase in monounsaturated FA, with thigh meat also exhibiting a linear increase in saturated FA (SFA). Conversely, polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) and the PUFA to SFA ratio decreased with increasing cFF levels (p < .05). Lipid oxidation levels remained unchanged across groups. Sensory analysis revealed no differences in overall acceptability or liking among groups, although two sensory attributes (sour and hard) resulted as discriminating factors (p < .05). Overall, cFF inclusion did not affect meat quality, oxidative stability or consumer perception but altered the FA composition, suggesting the need of further investigation to assess the optimal inclusion level.