Nutritional Analysis of Poultry Reared in Controlled Pasture Conditions Versus Poultry Reared Conventionally

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David L. Trott*, Joy Chisholm, Mark Vogel.
Dr. Michael Seipel, Dr. Theo Clark and Dr. Sara Madsen, Faculty Mentors.

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Health conscious consumers are increasingly demanding more nutritional food products. Farmers seeking to reach these consumers have developed alternative, pasture-based systems of poultry production. Northeast Missouri farmers rear the Cornish-Cross breed for meat production in pasture systems with access to insects and legumes such as alfalfa that supplement grain diet. Nutritionists such as Jo Robinson claim that grass-fed meats have cardiac, circulatory, and anti-carcinogenic benefits. Others claim pastured poultry has increased levels of essential vitamins A, D, E, and conjugated lineolic acids (CLAs). Reported results from nutritional analysis will include calorie density data from bomb calorimetry, fatty acid screen of CLAs from gas chromatography (GC), and vitamin content data from high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results from a consumer survey will reflect consumer perception of pastured poultry. Complete data on fatty acid and vitamin composition should reveal differences in the nutritional quality and healthiness of conventional versus pasture reared poultry.