Influence of Rapeseed Meal on the Eating Quality of Chicken. II. Subjective Evaluation by a Consumer Taste Panel

Abstract

The eating quality of eight-week old White Mountain × Hubbard broiler chckens fed three commercial-type rations was evaluated by 144 consumer households. The rations were: a soybean meal control ration (SBM), a 15% Span rapeseed meal ration (RSM), and a 15% Span rapeseed meal ration with 5% herring meal, .1% methionine, and .05% choline chloride (RSMHM). The consumers received three coded frozen half-chickens (one representing each ration treatment) and were instructed to cook each defrosted chicken half. Consumer panelists scored the odor, flavor, and overall acceptability of the chickens using a five-point hedonic scale and then ranked the chickens in order of preference. Subjective evaluation by the consumer panel indicated that chickens fed the RSMHM ration received significantly lower odor, flavor, and overall acceptability scores than chickens fed either the SBM or RSM rations. Chickens representing the RSM ration received slightly lower palatability scores than SBM chickens, but the differences were not significant. Preference ratings indicate that chickens fed the RSMHM ration were rated as “least preferred” more frequently (P<.05) than chickens fed either the SBM or RSM rations, which received similar ratings. These findings suggest that the eating quality of chickens was adversely affected by feeding the RSMHM. Inclusion of 15% Span rapeseed meal in the ration (RSM), resulted in chicken which was judged acceptable in eating quality.