ABSTRACT 1. The aim of the present study was to investigate increasing amount of n-3 fatty acids (FA) in common edible chicken meat cuts by testing different levels of extruded linseeds (LS) and rapeseed oil in growing and finishing diets. Another challenge was to replace a part of soybean meal by faba beans. 2. For that purpose, 3168, one-day-old Hubbard JV15 strain chickens were distributed into six groups: R1 = control diet, R2 = 3% then 5% LS, R3 = 4% then 6% LS, R4 = 5% then 7% LS, R5 = 3% then 5% LS and a low amount of soybean meal in the finishing diet and R6 = 3% then 5% LS and no soybean meal in the finishing diet. The growing performance was recorded throughout the trial. At 30 days of age, all chickens were slaughtered in a commercial slaughter plant at an average weight of 1322 g, to mirror the production of low body weight ‘broiler griller’ birds commonly available for export markets. Thirty carcases per group were processed to determine cut yields. The edible parts from each half carcase were removed to determine the chemical composition and fatty acid composition of meat with skin. The sensorial quality of thighs was evaluated for 20 carcases per group, after roasting. The environmental and economic impacts of the feeding programmes were further evaluated. 3. This study showed that it was possible to replace a part of the soybean meal in finishing diet by faba beans and to enrich meat with n-3 FA of broiler meat portions without altering growth performance, carcase composition and sensorial quality of meat. The environmental impact was reduced by these dietary interventions, whereby climate change parameters, expressed as kg CO2 eq./T, and phosphorus and fossil energy consumption were lower, but the land occupation was increased. The extra feed cost was +3 to +8% for groups fed R2 to R6 compared to the control group R1.

Excessive flavour in lamb meat is undesirable for consumers and can prompt purchase resistance. Volatile indoles responsible for off-flavours accumulate more in the fat of lambs on pasture than on grain and are enhanced when lambs graze alfalfa. Here, we investigated whether barley supplementation of lambs grazing alfalfa influences meat sensory quality. Using three groups of 12 male Romane lambs, we compared three feeding regimes: alfalfa grazing (AG), alfalfa grazing + daily supplementation with barley (29 g/kg live weight(0.75), AGS) and stall feeding with concentrate and hay (SF). As some of the compounds involved in meat sensory traits may act as dietary biomarkers, we also investigated potential implications for meat authentication. Although barley represented 38% of the diet in AGS lambs, it did not offer any advantage for animal average daily gain or parasitism level. Animal performance, carcass weight and fatness did not differ between feeding regimes. Dorsal fat firmness tended to be greater in AG than AGS and greater in AGS than SF. Skatole and indole concentrations in perirenal and dorsal fat were lower in SF lambs than in AG and AGS lambs (P<0.01 to P<0.0001), but did not differ between AG and AGS lambs. Yellowness, chroma and hue angle of perirenal fat were lower in SF lambs than in AG and AGS lambs (P<0.001), but did not differ between AG and AGS lambs. Absolute value of the mean integral for both perirenal fat and subcutaneous caudal fat (AVMI(PF) and AVMI(SC)), quantifying the intensity of light absorption by carotenoids in perirenal and subcutaneous caudal fat, respectively, were lower in SF lambs than in AG and AGS lambs (P<0.0001 for both comparisons), but did not differ between AG and AGS lambs. Meat colour was unaffected by the treatment. We confirm that lambs grazing alfalfa accumulate high levels of volatile indoles in their fat, but we show that barley supplementation to lambs grazing alfalfa is not effective in reducing fat volatile indoles concentration and excessive odour/flavour in the meat. We also confirm that both perirenal fat skatole concentration and AVMI(PF) are of interest for discriminating lambs that grazed alfalfa from lambs that were stall-fed, and we show that they are not effective for discriminating supplemented from non-supplemented grazing lambs.

Lambs grazing alfalfa or white clover are prone to flavour taint which can be an impediment to consumer acceptance. Here we investigated whether condensed tannin (CT)-rich sainfoin pellet supplementation of lambs grazing alfalfa influences meat sensory quality. Using three groups of 18 male Romane weaned lambs, we compared three feeding regimes: alfalfa grazing (AF), alfalfa grazing + daily supplementation with CT-rich sainfoin pellets (15 g dry matter (DM)/kg live weight, AS) and stall feeding with concentrate and grass hay indoors (SI). We also investigated the potential interest of sainfoin pellet supplementation for controlling digestive parasitism. The sainfoin pellets contained 42 g of CT/kg of DM and they represented on average 36% of the diet in AS lambs. Skatole and indole were detected in most of the AF and AS lambs, whereas in very few SI lambs. Skatole and indole concentrations in perirenal and dorsal fat were lower in the AS lambs than the AF lambs (P < 0.025 to P < 0.001), but the intensity of 'animal' odour and 'animal' flavour of the chops did not differ between both forage-grazing groups. Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle lightness was lower in the AF and AS lambs than the SI lambs (P < 0.001) with the other muscle colour coordinates being unaffected by the treatment and between-treatment group differences in muscle colour coordinates remaining constant throughout the 9-day display period. Subcutaneous fat colour coordinates were not influenced by the treatment. The number of individual anthelmintic drenches necessary to keep nematode faecal egg count below a threshold of 550 eggs/g of faeces was lower in the AS than the AF lambs (0.94 per lamb v. 1.63 per lamb; P < 0.001). Faecal oocyst count was lower in the AS than the AF lambs for the first measurement made 56 days after the beginning of the experiment (P < 0.001) and was not significantly different between both forage-grazing groups thereafter. The use of CT-rich sainfoin pellets to supplement lambs that are concurrently grazing alfalfa reduced fat volatile skatole and indole concentrations and delayed the onset of both helminth and coccidian infections.

The impact of divergent selection based on the ultimate pH (pHu) of pectoralis major (P. major) muscle on the chemical, biochemical, and histological profiles of the muscle and sensorial quality of meat was investigated in broiler chickens. The protein, lipid, DM, glycogen and lactate content, glycolytic potential, proteolysis, lipid and protein oxidation index, muscle fiber cross-sectional area, capillary density, and collagen surface were determined on the breast P. major muscle of 6-wk-old broilers issued from the high-pHu (pHu+) and low-pHu (pHu-) lines. Sensory attributes were also evaluated on the breast (roasted or grilled) and thigh (roasted) meat of the 2 lines. Protein, lipid, and DM content of P. major muscle were not affected by selection ( > 0.05). However, the P. major muscle of the pHu+ line was characterized by lower residual glycogen (-16%; ≤ 0.001) and lactate (-14%; ≤ 0.001) content and lower glycolytic potential (-14%; ≤ 0.001) compared with the pHu- line. Although the average cross-sectional area of muscle fibers and surface occupied by collagen were similar ( > 0.05) in both lines, fewer capillaries per fiber (-15%; ≤ 0.05) were observed in the pHu+ line. The pHu+ line was also characterized by lower lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substance index: -23%; ≤ 0.05) but protein oxidation and proteolysis index were not different ( > 0.05) between the 2 lines. At the sensory level, selection on breast muscle pHu mainly affected the texture of grilled and roast breast meat, which was judged significantly more tender ( ≤ 0.001) in the pHu+ line, and the acid taste, which was less pronounced in the roasted breast meat of the pHu+ line ( ≤ 0.002). This study highlighted that selection based on pHu does not affect the chemical composition and structure of breast meat. However, by modifying muscle blood supply and glycogen turnover, it affects meat acidity and oxidant status, both of which are likely to contribute to the large differences in texture observed between the 2 lines.

The aim of this study was to increase the n-3 fatty acid (n-3 FA) content of eggs without affecting their sensorial and/or technological properties or the laying performance of hens. Laying hens from line 477 were divided into 5 groups corresponding to 5 different diets over the laying period: control diet (C) and diets containing extruded linseed with a high level of fibre (ELHF), extruded linseed with a low level of fibre (ELLF), microalgae, or a combination of 75% ELLF and 25% MA (ELLF+MA). Dietary enrichment with n-3 FA had no effect on the laying performance, hen body weight or egg white viscosity. The egg yolks produced by hens fed the diet containing microalgae were redder than egg yolks from the other groups, suggesting the presence of red pigments in the microalgae preparation. However, the colour difference was low and not perceptible to the human eye. Moreover, colour measurement of egg yolks by sensorial analysis panellists using the Roche colour fan did not reveal a diet effect on this parameter. Egg yolk lipid content was not affected by diet. The egg yolk of hens fed on diets containing linseed and/or microalgae had greater n-3 FA content (×2.5 to 2.9 compared to group C). Linseed mainly increased the linolenic acid content (×3.0 to 3.4 compared to group C) and the microalgae increased the LC n-3 FA content (×4.1 compared to group C). Dietary enrichment with n-3 FA had no effect on the sensorial quality of shell cooked eggs except for the "unusual flavour" criterion for which the score was higher for the MA group compared to the other groups and corresponded to a fishy flavour.

Sensory quality of pork is a complex phenotype determined by interactions between genetic and environmental factors. This study aimed at describing the respective influences of breed and production system on the development of pork quality. Plasma stress indicators and Longissimus muscle (LM) composition, physicochemical and sensory quality traits were determined in two contrasted breeds - the conventional Large White (LW, n=40) and the French local Basque (B, n=60). Pigs were reared in either a conventional (C; n=20 per breed), alternative (A; sawdust bedding and outdoor area, n=20 per breed) or extensive system (E; free-range, n=20 B). All the pigs from A and C systems were slaughtered at the same slaughterhouse, whereas B pigs from the E system were slaughtered at a local commercial abattoir. Major breed differences were found for almost all traits under study. LM from B pigs exhibited higher lipid, lower water and collagen concentrations, as well as lower collagen thermal solubility (P0.05) influence plasma stress indicators, LM chemical composition and physicochemical or sensory traits of pork. In contrast, within the B pigs, the E system affected the meat quality more. Lower plasma cortisol levels (P<0.05), but higher plasma lactate, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities, and more skin lesions (P<0.05), indicating higher muscular activity during pre-slaughter handling, were found in pigs produced in the E compared with the C system. E pigs exhibited higher meat pH1 and pHu values and shear force (P<0.01) and exhibited lower lightness, hue angle and drip and thawing losses (P<0.01) compared with the C pigs, whereas LM lipid, protein or collagen concentrations were not affected. Regarding sensory traits, the E system produced redder meat, but did not impact the eating quality of pork. Altogether, this study demonstrates that differences in meat quality between B and LW breeds can be modulated by extensive pig production system.

The aim of this study was to increase the content of n-3 fatty acids (FA) of meat without affecting its sensory and/or technological properties or the growth performance of chickens reared under standard conditions. Male chickens, Ross 308, were distributed into 5 groups corresponding to 5 different diets for the growing and finishing periods: control (T), containing extruded linseeds exhibiting high concentration of fibre (ELHF), extruded linseeds exhibiting low concentration of fibre (ELLF), microalgae, or an association of 75% ELLF and 25% MA (ELLF+MA).The diet containing microalgae induced a decrease in feed consumption without affecting growth rate. Chickens exhibited a lower feed conversion ratio than the other groups for the growing and finishing periods but also the whole rearing period. The use of linseeds in diets had no effect on the growth performance of chickens in comparison to the control group.The dietary enrichment with n-3 FA had few effects on carcass composition or the ultimate pH and colour of breast meat. The microalgae increased the meat susceptibility to oxidation. The lipid content of breast meat was not affected by the diets. The breast meat of chickens fed on diets containing linseeds and/or microalgae had greater n-3 FA content (2.4 to 3.9 times higher than group T). The linseeds and microalgae mainly increased the contents in linolenic acid and long chain n-3 FA, respectively.Dietary enrichment with n-3 FA had no effect on the sensory quality of fillets whereas the thighs of the MA group exhibited the lowest score for the flavour chicken and the greatest score for the flavour abnormal corresponding to a fish flavour.

L'objectif de cette étude était d'augmenter la teneur en acides gras n-3 des œufs sans altérer leurs propriétés sensorielles et/ou technologiques ni les performances de ponte des poules et tester de nouvelle sources alimentaires d'AG n-3 (graines de lin à faibles teneurs en fibres et microalgues). Au total, 200 poules pondeuses de souche 477 réparties en 5 lots de 40 poules correspondant à 5 types d'aliment pour le début de la période de ponte ont été élevées : témoin (T), contenant des graines de lin extrudées riches en fibres (GLE), des graines de lin extrudées à faible teneur en fibres (GLDP), des microalgues (MA) ou une association de 75 % GLDP et 25 % MA (GLDP + MA). Tous les aliments étaient supplémentés en vitamine E (100 ppm). Les 5 aliments étaient isoénergétiques et isoprotéiques. Les aliments expérimentaux enrichis en AG n-3 étaient également isoquantitatifs en AG n-3 et lipides. La consommation alimentaire a été enregistrée de 21 à 33 semaines en pesant l'aliment distribué et les refus d'aliment par cage et par période de 4 semaines. Les performances de ponte de 21 à 33 semaines ont été suivies en notant pour chaque poule et chaque jour, le nombre d'œufs pondus, le poids des œufs (faire une moyenne par poule et par semaine sur 4 jours de collecte, du mardi au vendredi) et les caractéristiques de ces œufs (œuf double qu'il faudra peser individuellement, œuf sale, œuf fêlé…). De 26 à 31 semaines, les œufs ont été collectés chaque semaine afin de constituer 3 pools de 5 œufs par lot pour déterminer la teneur en lipides totaux et la composition en acides gras sur les jaunes d'œuf de chaque pool. Les unités Haugh qui permettent d'estimer la viscosité du blanc et la couleur du jaune d'œuf ont aussi été mesurées. À 27 et 32 semaines au moins 80 œufs par lot ont été collectés pour l'analyse sensorielle sur œufs cuits à la coque. L'enrichissement en AG n-3 du régime alimentaire n'a pas eu d'effet sur les performances de ponte et le poids des animaux. Les unités Haugh n'ont pas été affectées par le traitement alimentaire. Les poules nourries avec l'aliment contenant des microalgues ont produit des œufs dont le jaune était plus rouge et plus foncé suggérant la présence de pigments rouges dans la préparation de microalgues. Néanmoins, la différence de coloration avec les autres lots n'est en principe pas perceptible par l'œil humain. La mesure avec l'échelle Roche de la coloration du jaune d'œuf par les jurés d'analyse sensorielle n'a effectivement pas mis en évidence d'effet de la source alimentaire en lipides sur ce paramètre. La teneur en lipides des œufs n'est pas affectée par le traitement alimentaire. Les œufs des poules alimentées avec les régimes contenant des graines de lin et/ou des microalgues sont bien enrichis en AG n-3 (teneur X 2,5 à 2,9 par rapport au témoin). Comme attendu, avec les graines de lin, c'est essentiellement la teneur en acide linolénique (C18 :3 n-3) qui est accrue (X 3,0 à 3,4 par rapport au témoin). Avec les microalgues, c'est essentiellement la teneur en AG n-3 à longues chaînes (EPA, DPA, DHA) qui est augmentée (X 4,1 par rapport au témoin). Le lot GLDP + MA présente des teneurs intermédiaires pour ces catégories d'AG. La source alimentaire en lipides n'a pas eu d'effet sur l'analyse sensorielle des œufs cuits à la coque à l'exception du critère « flaveur anormale » dont la note est plus élevée pour le lot MA avec un qualificatif de flaveur de poisson. L'augmentation notable de la proportion d'acides gras n-3 dans les régimes expérimentaux n'a pas eu d'effet sur les performances de ponte et le poids vif des poules. La qualité nutritionnelle des œufs a été améliorée (teneur plus élevée en AG n-3) tandis que la qualité technologique n'était pas affectée. Les deux sources d'acide linolénique (GLDP et GLE) ont accru la teneur en AG n-3 des œufs dans les mêmes proportions. Afin d'éviter l'effet délétère des microalgues sur les caractéristiques sensorielles des œufs, il est préférable de limiter leur taux d'incorporation dans l'aliment et de les associer avec des graines de lin pour conserver une teneur élevée en AG n-3 LC.

We investigated the influence of the level of fresh alfalfa supplementation on fat skatole and indole concentration and chop sensory attributes in grazing lambs. Four groups of nine male Romane lambs grazing a cocksfoot pasture were supplemented with various levels of alfalfa for at least 60days before slaughter. Perirenal fat skatole concentration was higher for lambs that consumed alfalfa than for those that consumed only cocksfoot. The intensity of 'animal' odour in the lean part of the chop and of 'animal' flavour in both the lean and fat parts of the chop, evaluated by a trained sensory panel, increased from the lowest level of alfalfa supplementation onwards and did not increase further with increasing levels of alfalfa supplementation. The outcome of this study therefore suggests that these sensory attributes may reach a plateau when perirenal fat skatole concentration is in the range 0.16-0.24μg/g of liquid fat.

L'objectif de cette étude était d'augmenter la teneur en acides gras n-3 de la viande sans altérer ses propriétés sensorielles et/ou technologiques ni les performances de croissance de poulets élevés en conditions standards et tester de nouvelle sources alimentaires d'AG n-3 (graines de lin à faibles teneurs en fibres et microalgues). Au total, 450 poulets mâles de souche Ross 308 répartis en 5 lots correspondant à 5 types d'aliment pour les périodes de croissance et de finition ont été élevés : témoin (T), contenant des graines de lin extrudées riches en fibres (GLE), des graines de lin extrudées à faible teneur en fibres (GLDP), des microalgues (MA) ou une association de 75 % GLDP et 25 % MA (GLDP+MA). Les 5 aliments croissance puis les 5 aliments finition étaient isoénergétiques et isoprotéiques. Les aliments expérimentaux enrichis en AG n-3 étaient également isoquantitatifs en AG n-3 et lipides. Les animaux ont tous été pesés à J11, J21 et J42. La consommation alimentaire a été enregistrée sur les mêmes périodes (pesée de l'aliment distribué et des refus par parquet). A J42, 42 poulets par lot ont été abattus. Les carcasses ont été stockées à +4 °C pendant 24 h avant d'être découpées pour déterminer la composition corporelle. La couleur et le pH ultime (pHu) ont été mesurés sur les filets. La sensibilité à l'oxydation de la viande a été estimée en mesurant l'indice TBARS sur les filets stockés à +4 °C pendant 7 jours puis cuits (n = 15). La teneur en lipides et la composition en acides gras ont également été déterminées (n = 15). L'analyse sensorielle sur les cuisses et les filets a été réalisée sur des carcasses rôties (n = 20). L'apport de microalgues dans le régime alimentaire a eu pour effet de diminuer la consommation alimentaire sans affecter la croissance des animaux qui présentaient un meilleur indice de consommation que ceux des autres lots pour les périodes de croissance (J11-J21) et finition (J21-J42) et pour la période globale d'élevage. L'apport de lin dans le régime alimentaire n'a pas modifié les performances de croissance des animaux par comparaison avec le lot témoin. L'enrichissement en AG n-3 du régime alimentaire a peu affecté la composition corporelle des animaux, le pHu et la couleur des filets. L'apport de microalgues dans le régime alimentaire a également accru la sensibilité de la viande à l'oxydation. La teneur en lipides des filets n'est pas affectée par le traitement alimentaire. Les filets des poulets alimentés avec les régimes contenant des graines de lin et/ou des microalgues sont bien enrichis en AG n-3 (X 2,4 à 3,9 par rapport au témoin). Comme attendu, avec les graines de lin, c'est surtout la teneur en acide linolénique qui est accrue (X 2,4 à 2,8 par rapport au témoin). Avec les microalgues, c'est essentiellement la teneur en AG n-3 à longues chaînes qui est augmentée (X 9,3 par rapport au témoin). Le lot GLDP+MA présente des teneurs intermédiaires pour ces catégories d'AG. L'enrichissement en AG n-3 du régime alimentaire n'a pas eu d'impact sur la qualité sensorielle des filets. Par contre, les cuisses du lot MA ont la plus faible note pour la « flaveur poulet » et la note la plus élevée pour la « flaveur anormale » correspondant en fait à une flaveur de poisson. L'augmentation notable de la proportion d'acides gras n-3 dans les régimes expérimentaux a eu peu d'effet sur les performances de croissance et le rendement en viande des poulets standards. La qualité nutritionnelle des filets a été améliorée tandis que la qualité technologique de la viande était peu affectée. Les deux sources d'acide linolénique (GLDP et GLE) ont accru la teneur en AG n-3 des filets dans les mêmes proportions. Afin d'éviter l'effet délétère des microalgues sur la sensibilité à l'oxydation et les caractéristiques sensorielles de la viande, il est préférable de limiter leur taux d'incorporation dans l'aliment et de les associer avec des graines de lin pour conserver une teneur élevée en AG n-3 LC dans la viande.

1. The enrichment of raw poultry meat with n3 fatty acids (n3 FA) has been investigated in detail, particularly in high growth rate genotype standard broiler chickens, whereas low growth rate genotype Label Rouge chickens have received less attention. With the increased development of processed poultry products, it is necessary to ensure that the nutritional and sensory quality of meat enriched with n3 FA is not affected by processing. 2. Two experiments were undertaken for this purpose. In the first experiment, 696 male Ross 708 chickens were reared under standard conditions, and in the second, 750 male JA 657 chickens were reared under Label Rouge conditions. All birds received the same starting and growing diets containing palm and soya oils in each experiment. Birds were distributed into three groups from 21 or 57 d of age for standard and Label Rouge chickens, respectively, and given a control, linseed oil or extruded linseed diet. Diets were also supplemented with vitamin E (100200mg/kg). Birds were slaughtered at 56 or 84 d of age for standard and Label Rouge chickens, respectively. A total amount of 60kg of breast meat from each group was processed into white cured-cooked meat. 3. The dietary treatment had no effect on the growth performance of chickens or meat yield. The use of extruded linseed or linseed oil only decreased the carcass fatness of the standard chickens but had no effect on the carcass fatness of Label Rouge chickens. The nutritional quality of raw and cured-cooked meat was improved (increased concentration of n3 FA), whereas the technological quality of the meat (pH, juice loss after cold storage, susceptibility to oxidation, colour, processing yield and shear force value) and sensory quality of the processed products were not or slightly affected. 4. Linked to lower breast yield, to lower lipid content in breast meat and to higher slaughter age, Label Rouge chickens seemed to be less efficient for n3 FA deposition in breast muscles than standard chickens.

Selection to decrease Residual Feed Intake (RFI) is a relevant way to improve feed efficiency in growing pigs. However, RFI criterion is correlated with body composition and muscle characteristics. Present study evaluated adaptive responses to divergent selection on RFI on muscle metabolism and homeostasis through AMP-activated protein kinase pathway. Consequences on technological and sensory meat quality were also analyzed in two lines of Large White pigs after six generations of divergent selection on RFI.RFI- pigs (n=60) exhibited similar growth rate but lower feed intake and conversion ratio, and were leaner than RFI+ pigs (n=57). Despite higher glycogen content, metabolic enzyme capacities involved in glycolytic, fatty acid oxidation pathway and energy balance were reduced in the Longissimus muscle of the RFI- pigs. Reduced muscle homeostasis in the RFI- line influenced post-mortem metabolism and impaired technological quality traits of loin and ham but had only slight effects on meat eating quality. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nous avons compare les qualites sensorielles des carcasses et des viandes d’agneaux engraisses au pâturage en elevage biologique ou conventionnel (O vs. C) a deux niveaux de disponibilites en herbe (Haut H vs. Bas L). Le profil de croissance a ete maintenu similaire entre les deux systemes de production. L’experimentation a ete conduite pendant deux annees avec 12 agneaux mâles castres de race Limousine dans chaque groupe OH, OL, CH et CL chaque annee. Les traitements O et C differaient par le niveau de fertilisation azotee minerale epandu sur les parcelles. Les parcelles experimentales etaient des repousses apres fauche et elles etaient conduites en pâturage tournant pour conduire a un âge moyen des agneaux a l’abattage de 5 et 6 mois dans les lots H et L respectivement. Les cotelettes O ont ete moins appreciees que les cotelettes C. L’indice de rouge du muscle longissimus thoracis et lumborum apres 2h d’exposition a l’air a ete plus eleve chez les agneaux L que chez les agneaux H, indiquant les effets possibles d’une intensification de l’elevage biologique a travers une augmentation du chargement.

Sensory evaluation of meat provides methods for understanding human perceptions products. Across sensory methods, product, environment, and panelist control have to be developed and consistently applied for reliable, repeatable sensory data. The three basic sensory methods of discriminative, descriptive, and consumer sensory evaluation are discussed. Different tools available to meat scientists within each method are discussed, and a description of how to conduct each method is explained. Examples of lexicons, controls, panel training sessions, and ballots are provided to assist meat scientist in selection and conducting the appropriate tool for their sensory objectives.