ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of partially defatted black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, HI) larva meal on the carcass characteristics and meat quality of Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata domestica). A total of 192 female ducks aged 3 d were divided between 4 dietary treatments (6 pens/treatment; 8 birds/pen), characterized by increasing levels of substitution of corn gluten meal with HI meal (0%, 3%, 6%, and 9%; HI0, HI3, HI6, and HI9, respectively), and reared until 50 days of age. Twelve birds/treatment (2 birds/pen) were slaughtered on d 51 to evaluate the slaughter traits (i.e., carcass, breast, thigh, and organs weights), carcass yield and meat quality. The slaughter weight, hot and chilled carcass weights, and abdominal fat weight showed a quadratic response to HI meal (minimum for the HI6 group, P < 0.05). Dietary HI meal inclusion did not influence the ultimate pH, the color, the proximate composition or the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values in either the breast or thigh meat. The mineral profile of the meat was slightly affected by the dietary treatment, with a linear increase in the Cu content of the thigh meat (P < 0.05), whereas no differences were observed for Zn, Mn, or Fe. Dietary HI meal inclusion increased the saturated fatty acid rate in the thigh meat (maximum for the HI9 group, P < 0.05), and the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid content in the breast meat (maximum for the HI0 and HI9 groups, respectively, P < 0.05). The ∑n-6/∑n-3 ratio decreased linearly in both the breast and thigh meat, with the HI9 group showing the lowest values (P < 0.05). Finally, the heavy metal concentrations were below the EU limits for poultry meat. To conclude, the inclusion up to 9% of partially defatted HI larva meal in the diet of Muscovy ducks did not affect the slaughter traits or the meat quality, although it did affect the meat fatty acid profile.