Comparison of the quality of the chicken breasts from organically and conventionally reared chickens

Abstract

In this study, the quality of chicken breasts from organically reared chickens was compared with that of chicken breasts from conventionally reared chickens. Broilers were raised in an indoor pen with conventional and organic production system, respectively. The diet formulation for the organically reared chickens and the production density were in accordance with the guidelines for organic chicken products. Twenty birds from each group were slaughtered and their breasts were obtained for analysis. The organic chicken breasts had a higher cooking loss, and waterholding capacity, and a lower shear force (p<0.05) compared to the conventional chicken breasts. The organic chicken breasts also showed higher a* and b* values and myoglobin contents compared with the conventional chicken breasts (p<0.05). In the fatty-acid analysis, the organic chicken breasts resulted in higher polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and unsaturated fatty acid contents, and a higher PUFA-saturated fatty acid ratio.