Tastes like Chicken!
Novel microalgae-based feed additive, FORC3®, has no impact on the flavor profile of chicken
Maintaining chicken breast meat quality is of paramount importance to poultry producers throughout the world. When introducing an entirely novel feed additive into the production process, it is imperative that doing so will not adversely affect the sensory characteristics of the final product.
As such, in collaboration with researchers at Mississippi State University, Axitan recently conducted a blind taste-test to investigate the impact of microalgae-based antibiotic alternative, FORC3®, on broiler meat sensory properties.
The study consisted of 5 treatment groups, 180 birds total, that were fed an all-veg, antibiotic-free diet supplemented with varying amounts of FORC3® (ranging from 250 – 2500 ppm) over a 49-day period.
Panellists were asked to evaluate the differences in chicken breasts relative to a known control with respect to appearance, aroma, flavour, texture and juiciness. Each test used 7 panellists, who combined had total of greater than 500 hours evaluating chicken breast sensory properties.
Samples for each treatment were pulled from three different chicken breasts. Each chicken breast was cut into a 200 g uniform rectangular pieces and oven-baked (without any spices, seasonings or breading) at 350°F (177°C) until reaching an internal temperature of 170°F (77°C).
Panellists could not distinguish, for all attributes evaluated, the meat from FORC3®-treated birds to the meat from the control birds (P > 0.05). This indicates that the dietary treatments did not impart flavour or change other sensory characteristics of the chicken breasts.
To the company’s knowledge, this is the first time such a study has been conducted and is a major step towards gaining industry acceptance to FORC3®.
About Axitan
Axitan is an industrial biotechnology company focused on developing, manufacturing, and commercializing innovative microalgae-based solutions that are cost-effective and address global production issues in Animal Agriculture. Axitan’s first product – FORC3® – is a natural antibiotic-alternative feed additive that addresses disease outbreaks commonly experienced in broiler chicken production. The same product can also be used for swine, other poultry, dairy & beef applications with minimal R&D. Axitan’s microalgae-expression platform provides a myriad of opportunities to develop new and innovative products to build Axitan’s IP & product portfolio.
For more information please contact Matthew Sheridan at Matthew@SpotlightFamilyOffice.com.