Formulation of annatto feed concentrate for layers and the evaluation of egg yolk color preference of consumers
2010
OFOSU, I.W. | APPIAH-NKANSAH, E. | OWUSU, L. | APEA-BAH, F.B. | ODURO, I. | ELLIS, W.O.
Nowadays, intensely farmed poultry eggs show almost no differences in egg yolk and albumin compared with domestic layers. Annatto shrub grows rapidly to produce seeds coated with bixin and norbixin dyes which are used to color foods requiring no limits according to codex standards because they are generally regarded as safe for food applications. In this research, annatto concentrate prepared at 1:1 feed to annatto seeds was applied at 1, 4, 7 and 10% over 8 months. The results show that such feeds had no effect on the egg size (P > 0.05) (mean = 62.25 g) as well as proximate composition of feed and flavor of the resulting egg yolks, while rate of application of concentrate show significant (P < 0.05) effect on overall preference of egg yolk of layers fed up to 7%. It is recommended that annatto concentrate can be applied at 1% to give generally acceptable color intensity. The increasing demand of consumers for naturally colored egg products drive poultry farmers to seek for safer ways of achieving this preference. This research is opening a window of opportunity for these farmers to achieve this aim by using Bixa orellana seeds coated with annatto, which is abound in the forest zones of the tropics. Advantage can therefore be taken of this resource which has very little or no application in the poultry sector.
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