Effect of feeding hens regular or deodorized menhaden oil on production parameters, yolk fatty acid profile, and sensory quality of eggs.

An experiment was conducted to investigate whether feeding menhaden oil (MO) to hens affects egg weight, and whether using deodorized MO (DMO) could ameliorate decreased sensory quality of eggs (characteristic for hens fed high fish oil diets). Two-hundred twenty-four Single Comb White Leghorn hens were allocated to seven dietary treatments comprising either no fish oil, DMO, or regular MO (RMO) at 2, 4, and 6% in commercial-type diets from 19 to 55 wk of age. The data collected were analyzed in four experimental periods (i.e., 0, 2, 6, and 9 mo after feeding MO diets). The sensory evaluation of 2-wk stored eggs from hens fed the 2% RMO, 2% DMO, and control diets was undertaken. Egg weight decreased linearly with increasing MO in all periods tested (P < 0.05). The panelist's scores of aroma, taste, flavor, and acceptability of eggs from hens fed diets containing 2% of either RMO or DMO were lower (P < 0.05) than for control eggs. Greater aftertaste and off-flavors in these eggs were also detected. No differences in sensory quality (P > 0.05) for eggs from hens fed RMO vs. DMO were found. These results suggest that the deodorization of MO does not ameliorate the impaired sensory quality of eggs characteristic of hens fed MO.