Effect of dietary iron and copper on performance and oxidative stability in broiler leg meat

1. An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of removal of supp lemental iron and copper from broiler diets during the last 3 weeks before slaughter on broiler performance, tissue vitamin E concentrations and oxida tion values in raw. cooked and stored broiler leg meat. 2. Removal of supplemental iron and copper from the diet slightly decreased food efficiency, the differences were significant only when both minerals were removed simultaneously. 3. Effect of iron withdrawal on iron concentration in tissue was low. Howev er, total copper concentration in tissue was reduced in animals deprived of iron or both minerals simultaneously. 4. Removal of dietary iron and copper did not affect vitamin E concentratio n in raw and cooked meat, while stored meat showed lower concentrations in animals deprived of iron and copper simultaneously. 5. The removal of iron and copper from the diet reduced oxidation values in cooked broiler leg meat as measured by the thiobarbituric acid-reacting su bstances method (TBARS).