Traceability of poultry viscera meal by stable isotopes in broiler feathers

The objective of this work was to evaluate the presence of poultry viscera meal (VM) in the diet of broiler chikens, through the feather analyses by stable isotopes of carbon ((13)C/(12)C) and nitrogen ((15)N/(14)N) and mass spectrophotometry. Seven hundred and twenty Cobb male broiler chicks were subjected to the following treatments: vegetable diet (VD) based on corn and soybean meal, from 1 to 42 days of age; diet with 8% poultry viscera meal (VM), from 1 to 42 days of age; vegetable diet from 1 to 21 days, and diet with VM from 22 to 42 days; vegetable diet from 1 to 35 days, and diet with VM from 36 to 42 days; diet with VM from 1 to 21 days and, and vegetable diet from 22 to 42 days; diet with VM from 1 to 35 days, and vegetable diet from 36 to 42 days. Feather samples were collected from four birds per treatment at 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 days of age, which were subjected to isotopic analysis for carbon ((13)C/(12)C) and nitrogen ((15)N/(14)N) by mass spectrometry. The use of the stable C and N isotope technique in feathers allow the VM detection in broiler chicken diet after 21 days of VM inclusion.