Broiler undergoes fasting before slaughter increases water and electrolyte K+ and Na+ excretion, which affects the quality and sensory characteristics of chicken meat. The present study was initiated to determine the efficacy of human Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) vs. tap water on the meat quality and organoleptic characteristics of broiler chicken undergoing different levels of hour fasting. A 2 x 3 factorial ANOVA in CRD was used to analyze the gained data out of 18 heads broiler chickens slaughtered and processed for analysis. Data showed no significant (P < 0.05) effect of oral rehydration salt (ORS) and interaction of Drinking water x Hour fasting on pH of meat and percentage cooking loss while statistically significant to the main effect of hour fasting (P > 0.05). Mean values of organoleptic characteristics viz. odor, appearance, taste, and juiciness were not significantly affected by ORS treatment and levels of hour fasting. However, significant interactions (P < 0.05) effects on meat texture and overall acceptability. The quality of broiler chicken meat normalizes up to 48 hours of fasting with moderate acceptability scored by consumers. The overall effect of ORS treatment in water before and after fasting on meat quality and sensory attributes was comparable to tap water therefore not recommended. Further verifications for sensory testing should be performed between trained and untrained panelists using the 9-point hedonic scale to clearly distinguish differences between sensations.

Keywords : Oral Rehydration, Feed Withdrawal, Fasting, Broiler, Organoleptic, and Meat Quality.