Effect of different probiotics on broiler carcass and meat quality

Erl Pelicano,Pa De Souza,Ea Norkus,Hba De Souza,A Oba,Lm Kodawara,Tma De Lima

doi:10.1590/s1516-635x2003000300009

Abstract

The present work evaluated the effect of different probiotics on carcass and meat quality of broilers. One thousand and fifty male Cobb chicks were distributed at one day of age in a randomized design with 3 x 2 + 1 factorial arrangement (3 probiotics, 2 levels of probiotics in drinking water and 1 negative control group), using 5 replications with 30 birds. Carcass yield was higher (p<0.05) in control birds. Nevertheless, the groups fed with probiotics showed higher (p<0.01) leg yield at 45 days of age. There was a significant decrease in color (lightness) and increase in pH of breast muscle 5 hours after slaughter in the probiotics treated birds. In the sensory analysis, meat flavor and general aspect 72 hours after slaughter were better when probiotics were added in both water and diet. There were no differences in water holding capacity, cooking loss and shearing force among different probiotics or between them and the control. Thus, meat quality was better when probiotics were fed in the water and diet instead of only in the diet. Nevertheless, carcass and meat quality showed no alteration when the control group was compared to birds fed with probiotics, except for leg yield improvement in the latter.

Highlights

For many years, poultry industry has been looking for improvement of production indexes and broiler growth through breeding changes in detriment of the final quality of products
The broilers were distributed in a randomized design with 3 x 2 + 1 factorial arrangement, considering three probiotic sources added to the diet (Bacillus subtilis; Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis; and Saccharomyces cerevisiae), two concentrations of probiotic in drinking water and one control group, with a total of 7 treatments and 5 replications with 30 birds
Three birds were used per replication for analysis of carcass yield and parts yield (105 birds); two birds were used per replication for analysis of color, pH, water holding capacity, cooking loss and shearing force (70 birds) and two birds were used per treatment for sensory evaluation (14 birds)

Summary

Introduction

Poultry industry has been looking for improvement of production indexes and broiler growth through breeding changes in detriment of the final quality of products. The most directly related to meat quality are pre- and post-slaughter practices, bird age, strain, sex, environment and nutrition, and, within the latter, antibiotics have been considered by international health institutes, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Some consumer groups are avoiding meat from birds fed with diets containing antibiotics, specially in some countries that import 12 to 14% of the Brazilian broiler meat (Tabelas da Avicultura, 1995). According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 100% of the broilers and turkeys, 90% of the swine and 60% of the beef cattle produced in the USA are fed antibiotics in the diet as growth promoters during the rearing period. Alternatives for substituting these traditional growth promoters have been evaluated and probiotics have been the most studied

Objectives

Methods

Results