Comparison of Quality Traits of Thigh Meat from Korean Native Chickens and Broilers

The quality attributes of thigh meat from a certified meat-type commercial Korean native chicken (Woorimatdag(TM), WM) and a commercial broiler (Ross, CB) raised under the same environmental conditions, were compared. One-d-old, mixedsex WM (200), and 200 broilers (Ross, CB) each were randomly assigned to floor pens (20 chickens per pen). The production stages (I, II, and III) were selected based on similar live weight. The crude fat contents of WM thigh meat were lower than those of CB. WM thigh meat contained higher stearic and arachidonic acid contents but lower palmitoleic and oleic acid contents compared to those of CB. The thigh meat color CIE L*- and CIE b*-values of WM were lower, but inosine- 5`-monophosphate content was higher in WM than CB in whole production stages. WM thigh meat showed higher collagen content, hardness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness than CB. In sensory evaluation, odor, taste, and overall acceptance were higher while color was lower in WM. Based on these results, it can be concluded that even if commercial broilers are raised under the same environmental conditions as WM, the unique quality attributes of WM thigh meat are distinctively unique.