A presentation to the International Poultry Science Forum in Atlanta, Georgia, showed that adding eight per cent DDGS to poultry feed had no adverse affect on the quality of the poultry breast and thigh meat produced.

R. E. Loar II from Mississippi State University told the forum that while research has been carried out on the effect that DDGS has had on pig meat when they were added to feed at quantities of 10 and 20 per cent no research had been done on the effect on poultry meat.

He added: "The production of DDGS has increased dramatically because of ethanol production and the signs are that it is going to skyrocket."

He added that DDGS is now becoming a ready form of feed additive for integrators.

The research looked at the effect that the DDGS had on the pH of the meat, colour, cook loss, tenderness, shear force as well as consumer tests for flavour and desirability. IT also looked at the way it affected fatty acids in the meat.

The conclusion was that there was little difference between the breast meat of chicken fed DDGS and those not fed it and consumers showed little preference either way.

However, there was some increase in the amount of linoleic and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the thigh meat.

But the study concluded that will little difference between the two the DDGS additive could prove to be a cheap and ready dietary supplement.