Matières grasses alimentaires et composition lipidique des volailles

Abstract

Poultry meat has gained consumer approval and is recommended by dieticians because it is lean, yet contains a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids. However, the leanness of poultry meat varies with species, age and sex, while the amount of fat depends on a number of dietary criteria. Fat is principally added to feed to increase its energy content and to improve production performances. It has little effect on the total fat carcass content when the diet is balanced, and in particular when the protein to energy ratio is held constant. On the contrary, the type of fat added has a profound influence on carcass fatty acid composition. Thus, it is possible to modify the carcass fatty acid spectrum in chickens in response to the quality requirements of slaughterhouses or consumers. This article summarizes the possible variations in poultry tissue fatty acids in relation to the profile of ingested lipids.