Sensory Acceptability of Broiler Chicken Meat Supplemented with Hagonoy (Chromolaena odorata) Leaf Meal.

Abstract

This empirical study was designed and conducted to determine the post-harvest sensory acceptability and consumer perception of broiler chicken meat derived from livestock supplemented with varying dietary levels of Hagonoy (Chromolaena odorata) leaf meal. As the poultry industry continuously searches for sustainable, cost-effective, and locally available nutritional alternatives, understanding the impact of such botanical supplements on the final food product is critical. Specifically, this investigation evaluated the complex organoleptic and sensory qualities of standardized, oven-baked broiler breast meat. The qualitative and quantitative parameters under scrutiny by the evaluation panel included general appearance, aromatic profile, flavor intensity, tissue juiciness, physical tenderness, and overall consumer acceptability. The collected empirical data underwent rigorous statistical analysis, which ultimately revealed no significant differences ($p > 0.05$) among the various experimental dietary treatments for any of the evaluated sensory parameters. The baseline sensory attributes of the oven-baked breast meat samples were consistently and generally rated by the consumer panelists within the highly favorable qualitative spectrum of “Like Moderately” to “Like Very Much.” This range explicitly indicates a remarkably high level of market acceptability and consumer satisfaction across all treatment groups. While minor, subtle variations in the empirical mean scores were observed among the different dietary cohorts, these numeric fluctuations were not statistically significant. This crucial finding strongly suggests that the dietary inclusion of Chromolaena odorata leaf meal does not induce any adverse off-flavors, visual anomalies, or negative alterations in the eating quality of the broiler meat. In conclusion, the findings demonstrate that the supplementation of Hagonoy leaf meal in commercial or smallholder broiler diets can be safely utilized by producers without compromising the core sensory qualities, palatability, or consumer acceptability of the poultry meat. Therefore, Hagonoy leaf meal represents a highly viable, sustainable, and potential alternative feed supplement for modern broiler production, effectively lowering input costs while successfully maintaining desirable, premium meat quality characteristics.