title: Short-term nutritional strategies before slaughter are effective in modulating the final pH and color of broiler breast meat.
abstract: The poultry meat industry is faced with various quality issues related to variations in the ultimate pH of breast meat. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility to control breast ultimate pH by distributing finishing diets varying in amino acid (AA) and energy content for a short period before slaughter. Experimental diets were distributed to PM3 broilers on the last 3 d before slaughter (36 d of age). They consisted of a control (C) diet (3,150 kcal/kg; 200 g/kg of CP; 10.0 g/kg of true digestible Lys) with adequate amounts of AA other than Lys, 6 diets isocaloric to the control diet including 3 Lys-deficient (8.0 g/kg) diets with an adequate (Lys-/AA), low (Lys-/AA-), or high (Lys-/AA+) amount of other essential AA calculated in relation to Lys, and 3 Lys-rich (12.0 g/kg) diets with an adequate (Lys+/AA), low (Lys+/AA-), or high (Lys+/AA+) amount of other essential AA calculated in relation to Lys, and 2 diets isoproteic to C with a high (3,300 kcal/kg, E+) or low (3,000 kcal/kg, E-) energy content. Broiler feed consumption and growth performance were slightly affected by AA and energy content during the finishing period. Feed intake (33-36 d) was lower with the Lys+/AA+ and E+, and FCR between 24 and 36 d was higher with the Lys-/AA- and E- than with the C diet. Body weight at d 36 was lower in Lys-/AA-, Lys+/AA+, and E+ than in C, whereas the breast meat yield and abdominal fatness were not affected by diet. Lower pH values were observed in broilers fed Lys-deficient diets containing a high amount of other AA (Lys-/AA+) than in broilers fed diets containing low (AA-) or adequate (AA) amounts of other AA. This study shows that it is possible to alter the pH of breast meat by changing AA profile over a short period before slaughter, with limited impact on broiler growth and carcass composition.
authors.affiliation: Institut Technique de l'Aviculture, URA, BP, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guardia
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR83 Recherches Avicoles, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lessire
authors.affiliation: Provimi France, Zone Artisanale Ferchaud, F-35320 Crevin, France.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corniaux
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR83 Recherches Avicoles, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Métayer-Coustard
authors.affiliation: INRA, UE1295 PEAT, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mercerand
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR83 Recherches Avicoles, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tesseraud
authors.affiliation: Institut Technique de l'Aviculture, URA, BP, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bouvarel
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR83 Recherches Avicoles, F-37380 Nouzilly, France berri@tours.inra.fr.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berri
mesh_terms: D000601:Amino Acids, Essential / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D003116:Color; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D004063:Digestion; D002149:Energy Intake; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards*; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000601:Amino Acids, Essential; D004044:Dietary Proteins
keywords: amino acid; broiler; energy; meat quality; nutrition