Study shows yeast could improve broiler meat quality

Entitled: ‘Effect of dietary astaxanthin rich yeast, Phaffia rhodozyma, on meat quality of broiler chickens’​, the study, carried out by researchers at the Graduate School of Science and Technology at Niigata University in Japan, evaluated the effects of Ax-rich yeast as a dietary supplement on fourteen-day old female Ross broilers.

According to the research paper, the ageing process of meat is naturally regulated by antioxidants. Insufficient antioxidant condition leads to oxidative stress, which is the main cause of lower quality meat. While astaxanthin is a very powerful antioxidant, there was a lack of research on its effects, especially when it came to meat quality, it added.

Female Ross strain broiler chicks were purchased from a commercial hatchery and then housed in a warm brooder from 0-14 days. At 14 days old they were separated into cages, in four groups: a control group on an Ax-free diet; an Ax10 group which was fed a diet containing 10ppm astaxanthin (for 28 days); Ax20 group, which was feed on a diet containing 20ppm astaxanthin (28 days), and finally Ax20b, which was fed on a diet containing 20ppm of astaxanthim for 10 days (days 32 to 42).

The animals were slaughtered at 42 days old, with growth performance, meat quality and sensory attributes then analysed by the researchers.

The findings revealed the cooking loss decreased in the Ax20 group, and after 120 hours of ageing, the contents of several free amino acids and total free amino acid content in the Ax20 group was significantly higher than the control.

In the sensory evaluation, the study found that meat texture attributes improved significantly in the Ax20 group. The meat quality attributes evaluated included: residue in the mouth, tenderness, first bite, fibrousness, juiceness and taste.

While no significant changes occurred in the flavour attribute scores from meat soup made with the Ax20 group, compared with the control, most of the assessors said they preferred the meat soup from the Ax20 group.

The study evaluated that, overall, Ax-rich yeast Phaffia, was an effective dietary supplement for the improvement of meat quality in broiler chickens. The results also suggested that long-term feeding with a higher concentration of astaxanthin could be effective for improvement of the colour of broiler meat, and that Astaxanthin rich yeast increased the yellowness of broiler meat as well as its redness.