Nutritional composition of meat of the Philippine native chicken

Fernandez et al. analyzed the raw and cooked meat samples of Philippine native chicken (Darag) and commercial broiler in fresh and frozen state to determine their nutritional and physico-chemical properties. Findings of the study revealed the following: freshly dressed and frozen native chicken meat samples contained 20-21% protein and 3.7% fat when raw, and 27-27.5% protein and 4.2-5.3% when cooked. A 50-g serving of cooked native chicken meat provided 24% of the recommended energy and nutrient intake (RENI) for protein, and 13% of the total dietary energy for fat. The FAO/WHO recommended that fat intake for weaning infants is 30-40% of total dietary energy while for other age groups it was set at 20-30%. On the other hand, freshly dressed and frozen commercial broiler meat samples contained 18.8-19.7% protein and 11% fat when raw; and 26.1-26.9% protein and 9.8-10.7% fat when cooked. The fat content of 50-g serving of cooked commercial broiler meat provides 23% of the total dietary energy. For the calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) contents, uncooked freshly dressed and frozen native chicken meat samples contained 9-12mg/100g and 279-314mg/100g, respectively compared with commercial broiler meat which contained 5.4-8.3mg/100g and 289-312mg/100g, respectively. The cooked samples of native chicken meat contained 11-15mg Ca and 289-312mg/100g K. The amount of K in cooked samples was significantly lower than in uncooked samples. this could be explained by the fact that potassium in food is very soluble that a considerable amount of K is dissolved in boiling water and maybe lost in the diet unless water is consumed as soup or used in sauce. Native chicken meat can provide 12% (for a child) and 6% (for an adult) of potassium to meet the estimated requirements of healthy persons set by the 1989 US RDA Committee. The cholesterol content of uncooked freshly dressed and frozen native chicken meat ranged from 96mg to 105mg /100g, and 141mg / 100g when cooked. This amount was within the less than 300mg/day recommendation of the FAO/WHO group of the 'reasonable restriction of cholesterol intake'. A 50-g serving of the chicken meat contributed 24% of the recommended cholesterol intake in one's diet for a day. Darag meat contained 59.1% unsaturated fatty acids (USFA) and 40.8% saturated fatty acids (SFA) when cooked while commercial broiler meat contained 61.2% and 39% respectively. Based on the results, native chicken meat provided higher protein and lower fat in the diet compared with commercial broiler. The fatty acid profile of Darag meat contained more USFA such as oleic and linoleic acid than SFA. This could be the reason why most Filipinos prefer to eat native chicken meat than commercial broiler.