Carcase characteristics and qualitative meat traits of three Italian local chicken breeds.

1. An experiment involving 60 male chickens reared in an organic production system was carried out in order to investigate carcase characteristics and qualitative meat traits of three slow-growing Italian local breeds of chicken (Ermellinata, Padovana and Pepoi). 2. Chicks were randomly selected at hatch, raised together under the same conditions, slaughtered at 190 d of age, dissected for carcase traits, and meat (breast and thigh) stored for subsequent analysis of quality parameters. 3. Ermellinata (EA) chickens were significantly different from Padovana (PA) and Pepoi (PI) chickens for live, carcase and thigh weights. Breeds were also different for breast muscle protein content (EA > PI and PA), shear force (PA < EA and PI) and cooking loss (PI > PA and EA) values. 4. The CIE system values of lightness (L*), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*) evidenced a distinctive darker meat and lighter skin colour of PA breast meat. 5. Polyunsaturated fatty acids composition of breast meat was similar among the analysed breeds. EA had significantly higher saturated but significantly lower monounsaturated fatty acid contents than the other two breeds.