Effects of various levels of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on the quality of chicken meat

This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with CLA (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0%) on the proximate composition, sensory evaluation, pH, TBARS, cooking loss, WHC, shear force and objective color of chicken meat. Two hundred broiler chickens (Arbor Acre Broiler, male) were randomly assigned to five groups, fed for five weeks, and slaughtered. The proximate composition and crude protein of thigh Muscle from the 1.5% and 2.0% CLA groups were significantly higher than the other groups (p<0.05), however there was no difference in moisture, crude fat, and crude ash. Based on sensory evaluation, tenderness, juiciness, and flavor were not significantly different among the treatment groups. The pH of thigh muscle from the CLA treated groups was higher than the control, and significantly increased with the increasing levels of CLA in the broiler diets (p<0.05). TBARS values were significantly lower in the CLA treated groups, and decreased with increasing CLA levels in the diet (p<0.05). Therefore, CLA may improve the shelf life of chicken meat. WHC, shear force, and meat color did not show any significant variation in this study. In conclusion, the accumulation of CLA and the production of fresh chicken meat without changes in meat quality can be achieved through supplementation with 2% CLA. Accumulation of CLA in chicken meat significantly increased with increasing CLA levels in the diet.