Effects of thermally treated broiler feed with different organic acid levels on resulting meat composition and parameters related to meat quality

• Broiler feed was treated thermally and/or supplemented with organic acids.
• First study about the effects of hygienized feed on broiler meat quality parameters.
• Water, protein and fat contents of breasts were determined using destructive analyses.
• Color, pH, fluorescence, reflectance analyses were examined with non-invasive methods.
• The feed treatments did not affect meat composition and quality-related parameters.

Microbial contaminations of animal feed can lead to impaired food safety and human foodborne diseases. Risks can be mitigated by conventional feed hygienization practices including thermal processing and supplementations with organic acids. The aim of this study was to examine whether these hygienization techniques, alone or in combination, affect meat composition and meat quality-related parameters in broilers. Water, protein and fat contents of broiler breasts were determined using destructive analyses. Additionally, meat color and pH analyses, as well as fluorescence and reflectance analyses in the UV/VIS/NIR range, were conducted using rapid non-invasive methods. Although minor differences were observed regarding fat content, color and pH between the treatment groups, these were ascribed to natural product variations, and no substantial correlation could be established between the diets fed and the parameters examined. It was concluded that the implemented hygienization treatments did not negatively affect broiler meat composition and quality-related parameters.Industrial relevanceProduct–process interactions with respect to food quality along the entire production chain are of high importance. Often data on the impact of feed and feed preparation techniques on the resulting product quality of meat are missing.The manuscript provides a new and comprehensive study on the effects of thermally treated broiler feed supplemented with organic acids on selected meat parameters. This is the first study using optical together with conventional chemical methods for an analysis of meat changes occurring after feed supplementation.