IMPROVEMENTS OF POULTRY QUALITY PRODUCTS BY GENETIC MEANS

Abstract

ln Europe, although poultry products are diverse from conventional to Label
chicken, the general trend for poultry meat is for portioncd and further processed
products to increase their market share. In the Egg sector, due to new European
legislation, conventional cage system should be given up in 2012 for alternative systems which might increase risk of egg contamination. In this context, technological quality of poultry meat and the natural egg defence properties are our priorities. The purpose of this report is to evaluate whether they are tmder genetic control and for meat. linked to growth rate or stress susceptibility. Within genotypes, most meat quality parameters are highly heritable but influenced by stress at slaughter. Ultimate pH values are highly negatively correlated with glycogen stores and with meat quality traits (luminance, exudate, cooking loss and toughness). By contrast, low correlations are observed between ultimate pH and early pH, and between growth and meat quality traits. Therefore, ultimate pH can be considered a selection criterion to improve meat colour, water holding capacity and texture. Because of their role during eggshell formation and their anti~bacterial properties, eggshell proteins are thought to be involved in natural egg defences by reinforcing the mineral structure and by expressing antibacterial activities which preserve the hygienic quality of eggs during its formation. The strategy of targeting a candidate gene approach (MAS) at some egg shell matrix proteins appeared promising for improving eggshell quality. On the other hand, the heritability of antimicrobial activity of egg white was low but significant. Lowering cost of search for Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and the recent development of high-throughput methods combined with the chicken genomic sequence should facilitate in near future
use of Marker assisted selection by breeders to improve quality of poultry products.