Effect of grape pomace supplementation on broiler meat quality characteristics

Abstract

Summary The effect of grape pomace supplementation on quality attributes (colour, oxidative stability, microbiological status, sensory quality) in chicken meat was investigated. Broilers were fed on diets containing either 2.5, 5 or 10Â g of ground dried grape pomace per kg feed for 42 days. Colour changes during storage and eating quality of breast muscle were assessed. Microbial growth and lipid oxidation were determined in breast and thigh meat during refrigerated storage. Grape pomace supplementation did not affect muscle colour lightness and yellowness. Inclusion of grape pomace in the diet affected redness and resulted in paler meat. Inclusion of grape pomace in the diet did not affect lipid oxidation levels in breast and thigh muscle during storage. On the basis of microbiological data, there was not neither a clear nor a consistent effect of grape pomace supplementation on poultry meat microbiological status. Inclusion of grape pomace in broiler diets did not affect the eating quality of breast muscle.