Chicken meat and eggs – New Quality

Authors: Prof.dr.sc.dr.sc.dr.hc. Gordana Kralik i Prof.dr.sc. Zlata Kralik

Faculty: Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek

Company: Nutricin j.d.o.o.

Country: Croatia

web: http://www.unios.hr/

Chicken meat and eggs are animal products that can be enriched with bioactive, functional ingredients known as nutricines, and as such, they are considered as functional food.

By modelling of chicken feeding treatments, the following innovative products are successfully created, as they contain bioactive ingredients in meat and eggs:

  • Chicken Meat – New Quality
  • Eggs – New Quality

Innovative chicken meat and eggs contain essential ingredients, such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), i.e. alpha linolenic (ALA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic fatty acid (DHA), combined with selenium (Se) as a microelement.

These nutricines are essential in human nutrition. In addition to basic nutrients, such functional products contain ingredients that are beneficial to human health.

Innovative chicken meat and eggs as products contain:

  • Omega-3 PUFA in the amount from 219 to 481 mg/100 g of meat
  • Selenium in the amount from 0.0191 mg/100 g to 0.0321 mg/100 g of meat
  • Omega-3 PUFA in the amount from 138 mg/100 g to 585 mg/100 g of the edible part of the egg
  • Selenium in the amount from 0.0259 mg/100 g to 0.0315 mg/100 g of edible part of the egg

Compared to conventional products, innovative chicken products are enriched with n-3 PUFA and selenium in significant amounts.

Chicken meat and eggs are animal products that can be enriched with bioactive, functional ingredients known as nutricines, and as such, they are considered as functional food.

By modelling of chicken feeding treatments, the following innovative products are successfully created, as they contain bioactive ingredients in meat and eggs:

  • Chicken Meat – New Quality
  • Eggs – New Quality

Innovative chicken meat and eggs contain essential ingredients, such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), i.e. alpha linolenic (ALA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic fatty acid (DHA), combined with selenium (Se) as a microelement.

These nutricines are essential in human nutrition. In addition to basic nutrients, such functional products contain ingredients that are beneficial to human health.

It is scientifically proven that polyunsaturated fatty acids are the main components of the cell sap and cell membranes and are also important for numerous biological functions, including the role of receptors, transmitters, as well as factors that influence both enzymatic and immune system. Just like n-3 PUFA, n-6 PUFA and their ratio are also important for human health. Nutritionists recommend the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio to be 4-5:1, which is provided in our innovative poultry products.

Selenium is a microelement that cannot be synthesised in a human organism, so it has to be taken in through food. As an integral part of selenoproteins, it positively affects the immune system, prevents the occurrence of inflammatory processes and protects against oxidative stress.

Innovative chicken meat and eggs as products contain:

  • Omega-3 PUFA in the amount from 219 to 481 mg/100 g of meat
  • Selenium in the amount from 0.191 to 0.321 mg/kg of meat
  • Omega-3 PUFA in the amount from 650-1009 mg/100 g of egg yolk
  • Selenium in the amount from 0.140 to 0.680 µg/g of egg white, i.e. egg yolk

Compared to conventional products, innovative chicken products are enriched with n-3 PUFA and selenium in significant amounts. Statements about beneficial effects that consumption of enriched poultry products has on human health have been confirmed by clinical research.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This study is supported by the European Structural and Investment Fund’s grant for the Croatian National Scientific Center of Excellence for Personalized Health Care (grant #KK.01.1.1.01.0010) and by the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia.