Effect of chromium picolinate on broiler carcass and meat quality
Lin, R.S.; Cheng, K.H.; Chia, C.S.; Hong, R.T.; Huang, S.C.; Lee, D.N.
Journal of the Agricultural Association of China 3(6): 433-444
2002
Accession: 010519106
The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the effect of adding chromium picolinate in broiler diet on broiler carcass quality. Four different chromium picolinate levels of 0, 200, 400, and 800 ppb were added to broiler diets for 3 weeks in Experiment 1 and throughout 6 weeks in Experiment 2. In each experiment, eight birds were randomly selected from each four treatment and slaughtered at 6 weeks of age. A half of broiler carcasses were used for quality evaluation to measure pH values (pH45=postmortem 45 minutes; pH24=postmortem 24 hours), drip loss, color values (Lab values), cooking loss and shear value. The rest half of carcasses were dissected into lean, fat and bone. Dissected lean of left breast and leg were used for chemical analysis. In Exp.1, broilers fed 800 ppb Cr resulted a higher carcass lean percent than broilers fed 0 ppb Cr. The treatment of 400 ppb Cr showed a higher cooking loss of leg meat than the treatment of 0 ppb Cr. The supplementation of Cr also resulted a low pH45 of breast meat and low pH24 of leg meat. In Exp. 2, broilers fed 400 ppb Cr resulted a higher breast lean percent than broilers fed 0 ppb Cr. The supplementation of 400 ppb Cr also showed a lower body fat percent and higher body lean percent than the supplementation of 800 ppb Cr. However, the supplementation of Cr resulted in no differences in meat color, drip loss, shear value and chemical composition (moisture, fat and ash percentages).