EFFECTS OF DIETARY ETHIOPIAN PEPPER ON OXIDATIVE STABILITY OF REFRIGERATED BROILER CHICKEN MEAT

Abstract

A worldwide concern in the use of synthetic antioxidant in food safety necessitates investigation into natural sources of antioxidants. Ninety six days old Anak broiler chickens were used to investigate the effect of dietary Ethiopian pepper on oxidative stability of refrigerated raw and cooked broiler chicken meat. The birds were fed the starters diet for the first four weeks after which the birds were weighed and allotted into four treatments of two replicates with 12 birds per replicate. The birds were given tested diet with Ethiopian pepper inclusions levels of 0, 10, 20 and 30g/kg feed for another four weeks trial period. At the end of the week, four birds per treatment (a total of 20) were taken for slaughtering, evisceration and meat processed and refrigerated for raw and cooked meat lipid oxidation assessment. Results showed that Ethiopian pepper inclusion in broiler diet exerted no antioxidant effect on refrigerated raw broiler meat however it proved to be a good natural antioxidant in refrigerated cooked broiler meat.