Influence of dietary fat source, alpha-tocopherol, and ascorbic acid supplementation on sensory quality of dark chicken meat.

We studied the influence of dietary fat source and dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate and ascorbic acid supplementation on the sensory quality of cooked dark chicken meat stored at −20 C for different periods. Results showed that dietary fat source and alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation influenced sensory scores (rancid flavor and aroma and acceptability). Ascorbic acid had no influence on these scores. Thiobarbituric acid values showed a high correlation with sensory scores. In addition, the low levels of alpha-tocopheryl acetate contained in the trace mineral-vitamin mix (20 IU/kg of feed) were enough to prevent rancidity development in cooked dark chicken meat when broilers were fed a saturated fat diet and samples were vacuum-packed and stored at −20 C for 13 mo.