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PubMed1984

Determination of free and protein-bound N-nitrosoproline in nitrite-cured meat products.

Levels of nitrosoproline (NPRO) in the urine of subjects on a Western-style free-choice diet typically ranged from 1 to 2 ng/ml. Higher levels of NPRO in the urine were associated with the consumption of nitrite-cured meat products. The elevation in NPRO excretion after the consumption of cured meats was not diminished by the concurrent consumption of the nitrosation inhibitor ascorbic acid, indicating the presence of preformed NPRO or some NPRO precursor in the meat. Cured meat samples were analysed for NPRO using methanolic extraction, followed by gas chromatography and nitrosamine quantification by means of a thermal energy analyzer. Levels of NPRO detected in meats were less than those indicated by the amount of NPRO excreted when the same meat was eaten. Digestion of meat samples by proteolytic enzymes sharply increased the amount of NPRO detectable by chemical analysis. Nitrite-cured meat products contained 39-3900 ng total NPRO/g product. Of this amount of NPRO, 3-93% was protein-associated and only detectable after proteolytic digestion. Protein-associated NPRO may represent nitrosated N-terminal proline in proteins or peptides. Such NPRO would not be detectable as free NPRO on direct chemical analysis, but would be released by proteolysis in the digestive tract when the meat is eaten.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Listeria monocytogenes occurrence and characterization in meat-producing plants.

AIMS: The prevalence, level of contamination and epidemiological profile of Listeria monocytogenes were investigated in two meat-producing plants during a 20-month period. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sampling for L. monocytogenes was carried out in a cattle slaughterhouse (n = 72) and a swine meat-processing plant (n = 68) during a 20-month period. Swabs and food samples were analysed with the most probable number (MPN) technique for L. monocytogenes and the isolated strains were characterized by AscI-restriction analysis pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (REA-PFGE). Contamination of meat and meat products was always at low level (below 50 MPN per gram). The seven L. monocytogenes positive samples isolated in the bovine slaughterhouse yielded strains with the same REA-PFGE profile. However, the seven strains isolated in the swine meat processing plant showed six different profiles. Two of them showed indistinguishable profiles with L. monocytogenes strains collected from other meat processing facilities located in the same area. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The genotyping method is a valuable tool to investigate contamination sources. The study of REA-PFGE profiles indicated that environmental contamination was probably responsible for the persistence of over 16 months of one strain of L. monocytogenes in the cattle slaughterhouse. Several meat suppliers could be responsible for the contamination in the pig meat processing facility, and this is confirmed by the finding of some identical strain in other meat processing facilities located in the same area.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2001

Volatile profiles and lipid oxidation of irradiated cooked chicken meat from laying hens fed diets containing conjugated linoleic acid.

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on lipid oxidation, volatile profiles, and sensory characteristics of irradiated cooked chicken meat. Forty-eight 27-wk-old White Leghorn hens were fed a diet containing 0, 1.25, 2.5, or 5.0% CLA. After 12 wk of feeding trial, hens were slaughtered, and boneless, skinless breast and thigh muscles were separated. Meats of three birds from a dietary treatment were pooled and ground together through a 9-mm and a 3-mm plate, and patties were prepared. Patties were individually packaged and cooked in a water bath at 85 C for 15 min. After cooling to room temperature, patties were repackaged in oxygen-permeable or oxygen-impermeable bags, irradiated at 0 or 3 kiloGray (kGy) with an electron beam irradiator, and analyzed for lipid oxidation, volatile profiles, and sensory characteristics at 0 and 5 d of storage at 4 C. Cooked meat patties from hens fed CLA diets had lower TBA-reactive substances values and produced less hexanal and pentanal than the control. The irradiated and nonirradiated cooked chicken meat with aerobic packaging developed severe lipid oxidation during the 5-d storage at 4 C. Irradiation accelerated lipid oxidation in aerobic-packaged cooked chicken meat, but its effect was not as significant as that of the packaging. No odor differences were found among the cooked chicken meats from the different dietary CLA treatments. The increased storage stability of cooked meat from hens fed CLA diets was caused by the increased saturated fatty acids and CLA content in meat lipids. Tissue CLA was stable from oxidative changes and had minimal effect on volatile production in irradiated and nonirradiated cooked chicken meat during storage.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1999

Heterocyclic amine levels in cooked meat and the implication for New Zealanders.

This paper was presented to an expert workshop on meat intake and colorectal cancer risk, held in Adelaide, Australia on 4 December 1998, as a contribution to discussion of the possible role of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) in colorectal cancer. HCAs, which are genotoxic and carcinogenic to experimental animals, are formed in fish, meat and meat residues under certain cooking conditions which are relevant to human lifestyle practices. The most important variables contributing to the formation of HCAs are: cooking temperature (>150 degrees C), cooking time (>2 min), cooking method (frying, oven grilling/broiling, barbecuing), and meat type (e.g. sausage < whole meat). Humans will be exposed to HCAs from the consumption of meat or fish cooked by these methods and from the consumption of gravy prepared from pan residues. Approximately one-third of the meat consumed on a daily basis in New Zealand is cooked by methods likely to result in the formation of HCAs. When intake estimates are combined with animal cancer potency data, the greatest contributor to cancer risk is from the consumption of chicken. Red meat is no more implicated than any other meat type. Although the role of HCA in human cancer is yet to be clearly established, exposure can be minimized by lifestyle choices.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Microbiome and resistome successions in pig carcasses and fresh pork meat throughout slaughtering, processing and shelf-life.

BACKGROUND: Slaughterhouses and meat cutting plants represent potential hotspots for the spread and transfer of spoilage and pathogenic, including antimicrobial resistant, bacteria to meat and meat products. Here, we characterise the progression of the microbiome and resistome of two pork cuts (loin and sirloin) at different stages of processing, from the slaughter line to the end of shelf-life. To this end, we analysed samples from facility surfaces, carcasses, and meat cuts using whole metagenome sequencing. RESULTS: The taxonomic and antimicrobial resistance gene (ARG) profiles of carcasses and meat cuts were significantly influenced by the point of sampling and the processing room. The facility surfaces were found to be the main source of some abundant genera, such as Anoxybacillus, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Brochothrix, in carcasses and meat cuts. A total of 1,291 metagenome-assembled genomes were reconstructed, corresponding to the most prevalent species identified in the taxonomic analysis at the read level. A reduction in bacterial and ARGs richness and diversity was observed for carcasses and meat cuts along the production chain, which suggests that processing procedures are effective in reducing bacterial and ARGs loads. Nonetheless, an increase in the ARGs load was observed at two sampling points: the carcass after evisceration and the sirloin at the end of its shelf-life (in this case linked to the increase of a single gene, tet(L)). The ARGs most frequently detected were those associated with resistance to tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, and lincosamides. Acinetobacter (in processing environments and carcass/meat samples) and Staphylococcus (in carcasses and meat) were identified as the main genera associated with the ARGs found. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our results provide the most detailed metagenomics-based perspective on the microbial successions of pig carcasses and fresh meat cuts during slaughtering, processing, and commercialisation. The observations made suggest that selection pressures imposed by processing steps and contact with facility surfaces contribute to shaping the microbiome and resistome of the two pork products throughout their production line and shelf-life. Video Abstract.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Determination of crude fat in meat by supercritical fluid extraction: direct method: PVM 3:2000.

Meat samples are prepared by passing meat through a food chopper, bowl cutter, or food processor, subsampling the meat, and mixing the meat with granular diatomaceous earth. No drying step is necessary. Supercritical CO2 is then used to extract crude fat (which is defined as the components of meat that are extractable with petroleum ether, without digestion of the sample). Extracted material is deposited on glass wool contained in collection vials. After removal of any residual moisture from the extracts, percent crude fat is determined by weight gain of the collection vial. This method has been peer-verified by 3 laboratories, for a wide variety of raw and processed meat products containing 6-28% crude fat. Samples were prepared at the submitting laboratory. Ground samples were split into 4 portions, packed in Whirlpack bags, and immediately frozen. Frozen samples were sent by overnight room temperature, and percent fat was determined (in triplicate), without further processing of the samples. Analysis of the samples was completed within 1 week of sample prepara. tion. On the basis of this study, it can be estimated that all repeatability and reproducibility values are <3.0. Mean accuracy of the direct gravimetric supercritical fluid extraction method for meat samples ranged from +0.22 to -1.41 when the method was compared with AOAC Method 960.39. Interferences are unlikely but would include any nonfat substance that is added to (processed) meat, is soluble in nonpolar solvents, and is present in a quantity that would alter results. This method is expected to perform equally well for all meats with fat content within the stated range of applicability.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Red meat, chicken, and fish consumption and risk of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Red meat and processed meat consumption have been associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer in some, but not all, relevant cohort studies. Evidence on the relationship between risk of colorectal cancer and poultry and fish consumption is inconsistent. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 37,112 residents of Melbourne, Australia recruited from 1990 to 1994. Diet was measured with a food frequency questionnaire. We categorized the frequency of fresh red meat, processed meat, chicken, and fish consumption into approximate quartiles. Adenocarcinomas of the colon or rectum were ascertained via the Victorian Cancer Registry. RESULTS: We identified 283 colon cancers and 169 rectal cancers in an average of 9 years of follow-up. For rectal cancer, the hazard ratios [95% confidence intervals (95% CI)] in the highest quartile of consumption of fresh red meat and processed meat were 2.3 (1.2-4.2; P for trend = 0.07) and 2.0 (1.1-3.4; P for trend = 0.09), respectively. The corresponding hazard ratios (95% CIs) for colon cancer were 1.1 (0.7-1.6; P for trend = 0.9) and 1.3 (0.9-1.9; P for trend = 0.06). However, for neither type of meat was the heterogeneity between subsites significant. Chicken consumption was weakly negatively associated with colorectal cancer (hazard ratio highest quartile, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6-1.0; P for trend = 0.03), whereas hazard ratios for fish consumption were close to unity. CONCLUSION: Consumption of fresh red meat and processed meat seemed to be associated with an increased risk of rectal cancer. Consumption of chicken and fish did not increase risk.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Dynamics in ammonia levels in the process of producing canned meat for long-term storage].

Ammonia contents were studied in correlation with sensory changes in raw materials (pork and beef) used for the production of meat cans, and in relation to sensory changes at the end of their production. The following three types of meat cans designed for long-term storage were tested: Pork in Natural Juice, Beef with Bacon, and Luncheon Meat. Raw materials used for the production of meat cans had the known sensory characteristics and known ammonia values. Four groups of final products were prepared from each kind of these meat cans; the materials used for this purpose differed in their freshness. To obtain these differences in freshness, the material had been stored under constant conditions (average temperature 12.5 degrees, relative humidity 78.0%) and processed step by step in four work shifts during two days in succession. Each kind of raw material was sampled before processing into the final product and the samples of canned meat were taken after the termination of the technological process of production. The samples were subjected to sensory evaluation and the quantitative content of ammonia was determined in all of them by a microdiffusion method. In all kinds of meat the contents of ammonia evidently increased with the time of storage whereas the values of sensory evaluation declined. As indicated by measurements during the technological process of production, sterilization increases the ammonia content. The value of ammonia content in the meat cans at the end of the technological process of production indicates how fresh is the raw material. In combination with other investigations, this value can be used for forecasting the changes in canned meat in the course of long-term storage.

Ammonia↗
PubMed1997

Zoonoses in the meat industry: a review.

Zoonoses are diseases, the infections of which can be transmitted between man and animals. Only a few are of importance with respect to poultry meat and meat from cattle, sheep, horses and goats. Advances in the control of diseases such as tuberculosis, brucellosis and trichinosis in animals have reduced the hazards posed to workers in the meat industry and to consumers of meat. However, inspection of animals ante- and post-mortem cannot detect all infectious agents present. This applies particularly to bacteria such as Campylobacter, Salmonella, verotoxigenic and other pathogenic Escherichia coli and Yersinia. Protection of meat workers from infection depends upon taking normal hygienic precautions, which also protect the meat from contamination from the workers. Consumers are exposed to a smaller range of zoonoses than meat workers because they encounter only meat that has passed inspection. In addition, heavily contaminated parts of the animal, such as the hide, feathers and viscera have been removed. Further advances in making meat safer are likely to result from the introduction of Integrated Quality Assurance systems. These involve identifying, monitoring and keeping records of the disease status and treatment of each animal (or poultry flock) so that its history is known when it reaches the abattoir. They should also include programmes aimed at minimising colonisation by zoonotic bacteria such as camplyobacters, salmonellas and verotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2005

Prospective study of N-acetyltransferase-2 genotypes, meat intake, smoking and risk of colorectal cancer.

Consumption of red meat has been associated with elevated risk of colorectal cancer; however, mechanisms underlying this relationship are not well established. N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) appears to activate carcinogenic heterocyclic amines found in meat as well as cigarette smoke. Genetic variation in this enzyme, associated with rapid acetylation, may modulate the influence of meat intake on cancer risk. We examined the risk of incident colorectal cancer according to NAT2 genotypes, meat intake and smoking in a prospective, nested case-control study among 32,826 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study who provided prediagnostic blood specimens. We matched 183 women with colorectal cancer to 443 controls. Although acetylator genotype alone was not associated with the risk of colorectal cancer, women with rapid acetylator genotypes experienced a greater risk associated with intake of > or = 0.5 serving of beef, pork or lamb as a main dish per day compared to intake of less meat (multivariate OR = 3.01; 95% CI = 1.10-8.18). In contrast, among slow acetylators, intake of beef, pork or lamb was not associated with risk of colorectal cancer (multivariate OR = 0.87; 95% CI = 0.35-2.17). The interaction between acetylator genotype and meat intake approached statistical significance (P interaction = 0.07). Moreover, compared to slow acetylators who smoked < or = 35 pack-years and ate < 0.5 serving/day of red meat, the OR for rapid acetylators who smoked > 35 pack-years and ate > or = 0.5 serving/day was 17.6 (95% CI 2.0-158.3). These prospective data suggest that red meat may increase the risk of colorectal cancer, particularly among genetically susceptible individuals. The influence of NAT2 genotype on this association supports a role for heterocyclic amines in mediating the effect of red meat on colorectal carcinogenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Meat, cooking methods and colorectal cancer: a case-referent study in Stockholm.

The associations between methods of cooking meats and colorectal cancer were examined in a population-based case-referent study performed in Stockholm in 1986-1988. The study included 559 cases and 505 referents. Total meat intake, frequent consumption of brown gravy, and a preference for a heavily browned meat surface each independently increased the risk for colorectal cancer. The relative risks (RR) were higher for rectal than for colon cancer, and for boiled meat (RR colon = 1.7, RR rectum = 2.7) than for meat fried with a medium or lightly browned surface (RR colon = 0.8, RR rectum = 1.1), but the highest risks were for meat fried with a heavily browned surface (RR colon = 2.8, RR rectum = 6.0). The analyses were adjusted for year of birth, gender and fat intake. Further adjustments for total energy, dietary fiber intake, body mass and physical activity had little or no influence on the results. The findings suggest that, in addition to frequent meat intake, a heavily browned meat surface formed when frying meat at high temperatures is important in the etiology of colorectal cancer.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Influences on meat consumption in Australia.

In a study of influences on meat consumption, over 700 South Australians answered questions on frequency of meat consumption, beliefs about meat and nutrition, perceived difficulties with and benefits of vegetarian diets, personal values, number of vegetarian significant others, use in and trust of health/nutrition/food information sources, and demography. Perceived difficulties with vegetarian diets, the number of vegetarian significant others and beliefs about meat were important predictors of meat consumption. There were differences between men and women and members of different age groups, which should be taken into account when attempts are made to influence meat consumption. For example, health promotion campaigns that focus on whether or not meat is necessary in the diet may influence meat consumption, but would be most successful if directed predominantly at older people and men. In contrast, the meat consumption of women and younger people was strongly associated with more specific concerns about lack of iron and protein in the vegetarian diet. Some of the difficulties people find with vegetarian diets will also apply to plant-based diets generally, and such diets are becoming more widely acknowledged as providing health benefits. Therefore, the findings have important implications for public health.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Dietary lean red meat and human evolution.

Scientific evidence is accumulating that meat itself is not a risk factor for Western lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease, but rather the risk stems from the excessive fat and particularly saturated fat associated with the meat of modern domesticated animals. In our own studies, we have shown evidence that diets high in lean red meat can actually lower plasma cholesterol, contribute significantly to tissue omega-3 fatty acid and provide a good source of iron, zinc and vitamin B12. A study of human and pre-human diet history shows that for a period of at least 2 million years the human ancestral line had been consuming increasing quantities of meat. During that time, evolutionary selection was in action, adapting our genetic make up and hence our physiological features to a diet high in lean meat. This meat was wild game meat, low in total and saturated fat and relatively rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The evidence presented in this review looks at various lines of study which indicate the reliance on meat intake as a major energy source by pre-agricultural humans. The distinct fields briefly reviewed include: fossil isotope studies, human gut morphology, human encephalisation and energy requirements, optimal foraging theory, insulin resistance and studies on hunter-gatherer societies. In conclusion, lean meat is a healthy and beneficial component of any well-balanced diet as long as it is fat trimmed and consumed as part of a varied diet.

Adaptation, Biological↗
PubMed2006

Antimicrobial resistance among Campylobacter jejuni isolated from raw poultry meat at retail level in Denmark.

Campylobacter jejuni isolated from raw poultry meat collected at retail shops in Denmark in the period 1996-2003 were tested for susceptibility to seven antimicrobial agents. The food samples consisted of raw chicken meat and other raw poultry meat of domestic or imported origin. The highest levels of resistance among C. jejuni were observed for tetracycline, nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin, whereas macrolide resistance was rarely detected. C. jejuni originating from other poultry meat (mainly duck and turkey meat) exhibited the highest occurrences of antimicrobial resistance monitored; approximately one third of the isolates were tetracycline resistant (N=100). Among chicken meat isolates, the occurrence of tetracycline resistance was significantly higher (P<0.005) in C. jejuni isolated from imported chicken meat (N=88) than in C. jejuni from Danish chicken meat (N=367). The same tendency was observed for chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin (P<0.05). The trends in resistance in the period 1996-2003 among C. jejuni isolates from chicken meat indicate a decrease in the occurrence of resistance towards fluoroquinolones. This may be due to reduced application of fluoroquinolones for food animals. Monitoring of the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in C. jejuni isolated from raw uncooked poultry has been performed on a yearly basis since 1996, thus providing useful insight into consumer exposure to antimicrobial-resistant C. jejuni.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Common allergens in avian meats.

BACKGROUND: Reports of allergy to bird meats are uncommon, and most have been in patients with "bird-egg syndrome." OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate 3 patients who reported allergic reactions to several avian meats, but who denied allergic reactions to eating eggs. The patients required yellow fever vaccine for entry into the military. METHODS: Patients were skin tested with commercial extracts of chicken, turkey, and egg, as well as with crude extracts made from dove and quail meat, and with yellow fever vaccine. Immunoblots for IgE antibody were performed by using the same materials used for skin testing plus extracts of duck and goose meat. RESULTS: Skin tests were positive in all 3 patients to chicken, turkey, dove, quail, and yellow fever vaccine and negative to egg. This included some positive skin test responses to bird meats the patients denied ever having eaten. The vaccine was administered in graded doses. Immunoblots revealed IgE binding to several proteins of similar molecular weights in all of the avian meats but not to egg or yellow fever vaccine. Again, this included IgE antibody to some bird meats the patients denied ever having eaten. CONCLUSION: Patients allergic to one bird meat may be allergic to others, including game birds, probably because of cross-reacting allergens. Such patients may have to exercise caution even when eating bird meats they have not previously ingested. The relationship of this allergy to yellow fever vaccine, if any, remains to be determined.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Application of polynomial models to predict growth of mixed cultures of Pseudomonas spp. and Listeria in meat.

Three models for one rapid and one slow growing strain of Pseudomonas fragi and one slow growing strain of P. fluorescens were developed in a meat broth; they were designed to take account of variations in growth and to provide a growth response interval. These models, and another for Listeria monocytogenes (Lm14 model), were used to predict the growth of spoilage Pseudomonas spp. and pathogenic Listeria in meat products. The Pseudomonas and Listeria models provided satisfactory predictions concerning inoculated strains grown in decontaminated beef meat. It was also possible to use the Pseudomonas models to predict the growth of the natural flora (mainly Pseudomonas spp.) of refrigerated meat stored under aerobic conditions. In experiments with mixed populations, three situations were observed: (1) in decontaminated meat, L. monocytogenes inoculated alone grew well at 6 degrees C, and this result was correctly predicted by the model; (2) in decontaminated meat inoculated with Listeria and Pseudomonas strains, L. innocua grew well and was not affected by the presence of Pseudomonas, and the growth of both organisms was correctly predicted by the models; (3) in naturally contaminated meat inoculated with Listeria, the strain did not grow until Pseudomonas had reached the stationary phase. The models satisfactorily predicted the growth of Pseudomonas spp. but not that of Listeria. In conclusion, the Lm14 model cannot be used for refrigerated meat stored aerobically as the results suggest a 'fail-safe' level which may be too high: meat had already reached a spoilage state even though no increase in the level of Listeria was observed. The Pseudomonas models accurately predicted the growth of naturally occurring Pseudomonas spp.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Evaluation of the presence of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in packaged pig meat using virus isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.

An investigation was carried out to assess the potential presence of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in packaged pig meat. Samples of meat were collected at the processing plants and were sent to the laboratory for testing by virus isolation and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Samples collected at four plants were randomly selected from lots of packaged pig meat from different slaughtering days and were sent frozen to the laboratory. Homogenates of meat were prepared and were inoculated onto MARC-145 cells and after two passages the presence of PRRSV was monitored by indirect immunofluorescence staining using PRRSV specific monoclonal antibody. All pig meat samples (six pools of meat samples from 73 different lots = 438 total homogenates) tested were found negative by virus isolation. Primers from open reading frames 6 and 7 were designed and a RT-PCR assay was developed and was demonstrated to detect both North American and European PRRSV isolates. Using this assay virus was detected at a concentration as low as 0.355 infectious virions per ml in supernatant of PRRSV infected cells. This RT-PCR assay could detect PRRS viral nucleic acid from various tissue samples of experimentally infected pigs including muscle tissue, thus demonstrating its applicability on tissue samples. All meat sample homogenates tested by RT-PCR (one sample pool from the 73 lots) were also found negative for PRRS viral nucleic acid. The results suggest that pig meat does not retain detectable amounts of PRRSV and further support that the transmission of PRRSV through pig meat is unlikely.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2003

Antioxidant activity of dietary oregano essential oil and alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation in long-term frozen stored turkey meat.

The effects of dietary oregano essential oil and alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation on the oxidative stability of long-term frozen stored turkey meat were investigated. Thirty 12-week-old turkeys, randomly divided into five groups, were given a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with 200 mg of alpha-tocopheryl acetate kg(-1), or 100 or 200 mg of oregano oil kg(-1), or 100 mg of oregano oil plus 100 mg of alpha-tocopheryl acetate kg(-1) for 4 weeks prior to slaughter. Lipid oxidation in breast and thigh meat was assessed after 1, 3, 6, and 9 months of frozen storage at -20 degrees C prior to or following 7 days of refrigerated storage at 4 degrees C. Results showed that oregano oil increased the oxidative stability of breast and thigh meat during the frozen storage. Dietary oregano oil at the inclusion level of 200 mg kg(-1) feed was significantly (p < 0.05) more effective in delaying lipid oxidation compared to the level of 100 mg kg(-1), but equivalent to dietary alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation at 200 mg kg(-1), which in turn was inferior to dietary supplementation of 100 mg kg(-1) oregano essential oil plus 100 mg kg(-1) alpha-tocopheryl acetate that was significantly (p < 0.05) superior to all other treatments. Thigh meat was more susceptible to oxidation than breast meat, although the former contained alpha-tocopherol at markedly higher levels. Mean alpha-tocopherol levels in breast and thigh meat from all treatments decreased during the frozen storage, the decrease being sharper between 1 and 3 months of frozen storage for breast and between 3 and 6 months for thigh meat. Oregano oil supplementation increased (p < 0.05) the retention of alpha-tocopherol in meat, the increase being positively correlated with the supplementation level. However, the retention of alpha-tocopherol in meat could only partly elucidate the antioxidant activity exhibited by dietary oregano oil supplementation.

Animals↗