Effect of dietary fish oil, α-tocopheryl acetate, and zinc supplementation on the composition and consumer acceptability of chicken meat

A factorial design was used to study the effect of dietary fish oil (1.25% and 2.5%), all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (70 and 140 mg/kg), and Zn supplementation (0 and 200 mg/kg) on the composition and consumer acceptability of chicken meat stored at -20degreesC for 5 mo. Supplementation of the diet with all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate increased the alpha-tocopherol content in meat. The fatty acid composition of the meat was affected only by the amount of fish oil. Diets supplied with 2.5% fish oil produced meat with an eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid content double that of diets supplied with 1.25% fish oil. Zn supplementation did not affect the content of this mineral in the meat. Moreover, the consumer acceptability of meat samples showed no significant differences between dietary treatments after 5 mo of storage at -20degreesC or with respect to a freshly cooked commercial sample used as a blind control.