Effect of dietary fish oil on fatty acid composition, lipid oxidation and sensory property of chicken frankfurters during storage.

Broilers fed with three levels of fish oil (0, 2 and 4%) for 6 weeks were used in the manufacture of chicken frankfurters. The meat samples were vacuum-packed and stored at 0°C for 0, 10, 20 and 30 days. Cooking yield, proximate and fatty acid composition, lipid oxidation, microbial and sensory properties of the meat products were measured. Cooking yield, moisture, fat, protein, ash and cholesterol contents of frankfurters were not affected (P>0.05) by levels of dietary fish oil. Frankfurters processed from chickens fed diets enriched with 2 and 4% of supplemental fish oil had a higher (P<0.05) level of n-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid), but had a lower level of n-6 fatty acids (P<0.05) than the controls (0% fish oil). TBA values and pH values of meat samples were not affected (P>0.05) by levels of supplemental fish oil in the diets, however, pH values of the vacuum-packaged chicken frankfurters decreased (P<0.05) as the storage time increased. No differences (P>0.05) in total anaerobic plate counts were observed among the fish oil treatments during storage. Supplementation of 2 and 4% fish oil in the diets did not increase (P>0.05) the intensity of fishy flavor in chicken frankfurters.