A reduced cost strategy for enriching chicken meat with omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids using dietary flaxseed oil

1. This study aimed to determine the minimal duration required for feeding male broilers (Cobb 500) with a flaxseed oil diet while still retaining long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 LCPUFA) accumulation in the meat at a desirable level.2. Three groups of broilers (60 each) were fed on a 3% flaxseed oil (high -linolenic acid (ALA)) diet for either 6, 4 or 2weeks prior to slaughter. During the remaining time they were maintained on a 3% macadamia oil (low ALA) diet. A fourth group (control, n=60) was fed on a commercial diet for 6weeks.3. No significant difference was observed in growth performance of broilers between groups. The amounts of total n-3 and n-3 LCPUFA in breast and thigh meat were not different between broilers fed the flaxseed oil diet for 4 and 6weeks, but they were lower (P<0.001) in those fed the flaxseed diet for only 2weeks.4. These results suggest comparable levels of n-3 LCPUFA in the meat can be achieved by only feeding the flaxseed oil diet in the last 3-4weeks of the growth period; this would result in a9.4% reduction in the use of flaxseed oil compared to 6weeks of feeding; thereby reducing the cost of the enrichment process.