Innovative Use of Olive, Winery and Cheese Waste By-Products as Functional Ingredients in Broiler Nutrition

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dietary use of novel silage that was created by combining three agro-industrial wastes produced in bulk, i.e., olive mill wastewater, grape pomace, and deproteinized feta cheese whey, in the diets of broiler chickens. A total of 216 one-day-old male Ross-308 chicks were randomly allocated to three treatment groups with six replications (12 chicks per pen). Three isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets were formulated to include the examined silage at 0%, 5%, or 10%. Commercial breeding and management procedures were employed throughout the trial. At the end of the trial (day 35), tissue samples were collected for analysis. Feeding 10% silage resulted in increased (p <= 0.001) final body weight (p <= 0.001) and feed intake. Jejunum and cecum microflora, as well as breast and thigh meat microflora, were modified (p <= 0.05) by the dietary inclusion. Thigh meat oxidative stability was improved (p < 0.01) by the silage supplementation. In addition, breast and thigh meat fatty acid profiles were different, respectively, (p < 0.05) in the supplemented treatments compared to the control. The examined silage was successfully tested in broiler diets with potential benefits for their performance and meat quality.

Automated summary

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of incorporating a novel silage, made from olive mill wastewater, grape pomace, and deproteinized feta cheese whey, in the diets of broiler chickens. The results showed that supplementing broiler diets with the examined silage positively impacted the growth performance and meat quality of the chickens, as well as modified their gut microbiota and fatty acid profiles.