NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION OF FRESH, REFRIGERATED, SUNDRIED AND SMOKED BROILER CHICKEN CARCASSES

Abstract

This research was conducted to determine the nutritional contents of fresh, refrigerated, sundried and smoked preserved broiler chicken carcasses using a completely randomized design. The broiler chickens were purchased from the Teaching and Research Farm, Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic Hadejia. Sixteen broiler chickens of 7 weeks old were slaughtered, scalded, eviscerated, decapitated, washed and labelled for refrigeration, sun drying and smoke preservation. The fresh sample was analyzed for proximate and mineral compositions, while the other samples were refrigerated at 3±1˚C, sun - heat exposed and smoked, respectively. Refrigerated and sundried samples were preserved for the period of eight days, afterward all samples were analyzed for proximate and mineral compositions. Result showed that the fresh and refrigerated samples were statistically similar (p>0.05) in crude protein (CP), ash and ether extract (EE) contents, while the sundried sample recorded a higher significant (p<0.05) value when compared to the other samples in terms of CP and dry matter (DM) with statistical similarities in the % EE and ash contents. The smoked sample was significantly (p<0.05) different from other samples in the CP, DM and EE, while ash content for fresh and refrigerated samples was statistically similar (p>0.05) for calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and phosphorous (P) contents, although zinc (Zn) content varied significantly (p<0.05) among all the samples. The study concludes that fresh and refrigerated broiler chicken carcasses showed similarities in their nutritional contents, similarly smoked and sundried samples presented similar observation. Refrigeration method is therefore recommended as it recorded higher nutrient content of broiler chicken carcass.