effect of dietary zinc borate supplementation on chemical and microbiological qualities of meat in laying hen

This study investigated the effects of supplementation of zinc borate (zb) at different concentrations in laying hen feed on the chemical and microbial properties of breast meat. the study used feed with a zb concentration of 100 mg/kg (zb100), 200 mg/kg (zb200), and 400 mg/kg (zb400) as well as a control group. the zb100 group was characterised by a lower ph value, lower tbars values, and a lower total number of psychrophilic aerobic bacteria (tpab). in contrast, higher levels of zb (200–400 mg/kg) led to an increase in enterobacteriaceae and an impairment of oxidative stability. zb supplementation affected the chemical properties of the meat, such as ph, water activity, colour and oxidative stability, as well as the microbial load. the results suggest that zb has dose-dependent effects on meat quality, and that a low dosage (100 mg/kg) may be the optimal supplementation level.