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ORGANIC POULTRY PRODUCTION SYSTEM AND MEAT CHARACTERISTICS

CASTELLINI, prof C (2005) ORGANIC POULTRY PRODUCTION SYSTEM AND MEAT CHARACTERISTICS. Paper at: XVII th European Symposium on the Quality of Poultry Meat, Doorwerth, 23/05/2005.

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Summary

The effect of the organic poultry production system on some qualitative characteristics of the meat is reported. The effect is mainly due to the greater age and physical activity of animals but it is largely modulated by the farming protocols used e.i., genetic strain (fast and slow-growing strains) and pasture availability. Due to economic reasons and chicks availability, generally fast or intermediate growing chicks are used. Such animals are not adapted to the organic system and health and welfare problems caused by leg disorders and lameness are recurrent. Nevertheless, compared to conventional chickens, the carcasses have higher breast and drumstick percentages and a lower level of abdominal fat. Even the physical-chemical characteristics of the meat are affected: muscles have lower final pH and water holding capacity. Instead cooking loss, lightness, shear values, Fe, and polyunsaturated fatty acids increase. Unfortunately, the greater physical activity increases the oxidative metabolism of the body and determines a higher level of TBA-RS. Slow-growing strains, probably due to their particular behaviour (more kinetic activity, foraging) and metabolism, show larger
differences in qualitative traits, compared to both conventional and organic fast-growing strains. In particular, with respect to fast-growing strains, they have a higher antioxidant level (715 vs 522 nmol HClO mL-1), serum a-tocopherol (19.0 vs 17.2 mg L-1) and grass ingestion. As a result, the oxidative stability of fresh and stored meat is much higher than fast-growing strains (2.0 vs 3.05 mg MDA kg-1).In conclusion, the organic poultry production system seems to be an interesting alternative method especially if suitable farming protocols will be developed and used.


EPrint Type:Conference paper, poster, etc.
Type of presentation:Paper
Keywords:poultry meat, slow growing bird
Subjects: Animal husbandry > Production systems > Poultry
Research affiliation: Italy > Univ. Perugia
Deposited By: Castellini, Prof. C.
ID Code:9330
Deposited On:03 Oct 2006
Last Modified:12 Apr 2010 07:34
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Peer-reviewed and accepted

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