Isotopic traceability in body tissues and in different breeding periods of broilers

R.P Oliveira,J.C Denadai,J.R Sartori,V.C Cruz,C Ducatti,A.S Carrijo,A.C Pezzato

doi:10.1590/s0102-09352012000500033

Abstract

The inclusion of poultry viscera meal (VM) in broiler diets to possibly replace it with strictly vegetable diet (VE) and vice-versa, using the technique of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in different tissues was traced. One hundred ninety-two one-day-old chicks that had been distributed randomly were used in twelve experimental treatments with four replications of four chicks each. The treatments consisted of vegetable diet (VG) for diets containing FV going after a certain age or the reverse, in which the birds began feeding VM on diet and then switched to VE diet. At 42 days of age, samples of pectoral muscle (Pectoralis major), keel and tibia were collected, with later determination of isotopic ratios (13C/12C and 15N/14N). The stable isotopes technique couldn't trace the use of VM in feeding broilers when this ingredient was part of broiler diets only in the first seven, 14 or 21 days of age. However, this technique can be applied to younger poultry that have been sampled before a possible change in diet, since they can have the isotopic signature of feeding stabilized around two weeks of age.

Highlights

According to Cerutti (2002), many worldwide episodes which scared and threatened the consumption of animal and vegetable products have definitely stressed the importance of implementing traceability and certification of poultry products
It was observed that 15N values were enriched, both from vegetable diet to diet with viscera meal (VM) and from starter diets (1 to 21 days of age) to grower diets (22 to 42 days of age) in the same diet
VM diets contained a smaller amount of soybean meal and bigger amounts of corn and VM ( 15N = 4.25‰) compared to vegetable diets

Summary

Introduction

According to Cerutti (2002), many worldwide episodes which scared and threatened the consumption of animal and vegetable products have definitely stressed the importance of implementing traceability and certification of poultry products. Many importing markets, such as the European Union and the Middle East, require that poultry not be fed animal origin ingredients and chemical growth promoters. Traceability is shown to be a key tool in certifying meat and other products, which is essential for the survival and success of companies in an increasingly more competitive and demanding globalized world. In order for poultry traceability to be successful, the sector must not wait again for importers to force initiatives or place an embargo on local production. Problems involving sanitation and technical barriers in Brazil are examples of how a traceability programs can validate the quality of the national product and even protect Brazilian exporters from potential questioning (Belchior, 2003)

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