Effect of Feeding Olive Pomace Acid Oil on Dark Chicken Meat Lipid Composition, Oxidative Stability, Color, and Sensory Acceptance

SIMPLE SUMMARY: One current aim of the chicken meat industry is to reduce production costs, which can be achieved using by-products as feed ingredients. Additionally, this can contribute to the food chain sustainability. This study evaluated lipid composition, lipid oxidation, and quality of fresh and refrigerated chicken meat when an edible oil refining by-product (olive pomace acid oil) was added as a fat source (6%) in broiler diets, using refined olive pomace oil and crude palm oil as fat controls. Results showed that the use of olive pomace acid oil resulted in a similar meat fatty acid composition to the use of refined olive pomace oil, in both cases being rich in oleic acid, and in lower meat α-tocopherol levels compared to the use of palm oil. It did not affect meat lipid oxidation, its color, or its overall acceptance even after its refrigerated storage under commercial conditions, as compared to both control fats. Refrigeration increased meat lipid oxidation, redness, and yellowness, but its overall acceptance was not affected. Thus, considering these results, the olive pomace acid oil used in this study is an adequate fat source for broiler feeds in the conditions used in this study. ABSTRACT: This study evaluated the effect of using olive pomace acid oil (OPAO) instead of crude palm oil (PO) or refined olive pomace oil (ROPO) on lipid composition, lipid oxidation, and quality of chicken meat. Broiler chickens were fed diets with 6% of PO, ROPO, or OPAO, and deboned legs with skin were sampled. Fresh and refrigerated (commercial conditions; 7 days) chicken meat samples were assessed for fatty acid (FA) composition, tocopherol (T) and tocotrienol (T3) content, lipid oxidative stability, 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values, volatile compounds, color, and sensory acceptance. Using ROPO and OPAO led to meat richer in monounsaturated FAs and OPAO to lower α-T levels compared to PO. Oxidative stability, TBA values, volatile compounds, and overall acceptance of meat were not affected by diet. Refrigeration increased TBA values and some volatile compounds’ concentrations, but it did not decrease redness or consumers’ overall acceptance. Therefore, the OPAO used was an adequate fat source for chicken diets at 6%, as it produced dark meat lower in saturated FAs than PO without affecting lipid oxidation or overall acceptance. According to this, upcycling OPAO as an energy source in chicken diets would be possible, which can contribute to the sustainability of the food chain.