Breed has nothing to do rather it is the enormous/extensive researches in feed production and feed formulation that brought about this dramatic changes; lot of innovation has been incorporated into feed production and formulation over times and this has contributed positively to taste and flavor of poultry products. Feed formulation contributed  indirectly to certain extent. it is actually the ingredients type that affect flavor, taste, palatability and acceptability of the feed. example where you have high inclusion level of fish meal or groundnut cake meal for example will affect these parameters; also the processing of the ingredients eg in case of soya either full fat or extruded fat will affect taste; type of corn either white or yellow imparts on the color of egg yolk. The type of additives used in the formulation also have effect on these parameters.

Off-flavors are nearly always caused by feed or ground/bedding related factors.

Influencing flavor in a positive way is much harder to accomplish.

Breed certainly plays its part in this respect. Slow growing broiler types develop their muscles in another way than fast growing ones and this has its effects on the perceived quality of the meat derived from them.

As in any other animal with simple stomach, feeding strongly affects the fatty acid composition of poultry, which in turn very much modifies flavor. The flavor compounds of cooked poultry are formed mainly through lipid oxidation and Maillard reactions (also thiamine degradation and other chemical reactions, of course). Oxidation of different fatty acids leads to a different profile of volatile flavor compounds, so a diet with a different fatty acid profile will for sure lead to a different poultry flavor.

But I also agree with Kan in the role of breed, since different breeds show a different intramuscular fat content, different profile of muscle fiber types, different enzymatic activities, different collagen content and strength.....     

Anecdotally, I have eaten eggs in many different places. I do not notice much difference in the taste of chicken eggs regardless of what they eat. But the shells crack very differently, and I have generally put this down to diet.

As we all know about digestive process, which breakdown the feed ingredient to easily digestible metabolite and excreted most of the undigested metabolites. Thats why in most of the cases body absorb only useful ingredient, which impart their growth. That might be the reason behind this. 

Feed has more impact on flavour of poultry meat and eggs, that's why the flavour of local chickens on fully scavenging is different from those which are kept  semi intensively or totally confined  and are given formulated diets 

I fully agree with Dr Kan.

Age at slaughter is the main factor of meat quality (texture and flavour), and it is obviously the reason why slow growing animals are generally preferred (local chickens, organic production...). cf Castellini et al.,or Fanatico et al. links below.

The effect of diet is much lower, and mainly concerns the fat content (quantity and FA composition) of meat. The direct links are mainly found in the case of negative effects such as off flavours (fishmeal, glucosinolated etc).

Meat color (and egg color) can be directly affected (and manipulated) by diet formulation; which can be used when there is a consumer preference for colored meat or egg yolk.

Beware that there is not always a positive correlation between nutritional quality and sensory quality : in the case of insaturated fatty acids (e.g. w3) the sensory quality can be lowered by flax or other w3 sources, because of their effect on FA composition of meat (link below). More unsaturated FA can also induce lipid oxidation in some conditions, leading to off-flavors. However the effect can be different according to meat parts because of the different

The case of eggs is somewhat different, with a very low effect of feeding or growing conditions on the quality of eggs (except yolk color); however off-flavors can be induced by some raw materials (fishmeal, canola meal with glucosinolates etc.

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=2544732&fileId=S0043933908000172

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/713654967

http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/86/10/2245.short

Breed as well as the nutrient content/quality of the diet could influence the flavour of both the meat and egg. For instance, fish meal in much quantity can impact some flavours in meat and egg, so also some phytobiotics. Free range poultry have access to variety of feed materials which impacts better taste. furthermore, the rate of activity is increased in free range poultry which affects the muscle components. these birds are also slaughtered at a later age than the 6-8 weeks broiler chicken, so age also influence the development of the muscle tissuse.

As far as I know, feed formulation will affect egg taste and color, but I am not sure if it will substantially affect meat flavor and taste. I am saying this in a practical standpoint.

Thanks to you all for dissolving my doubt, I am blessed to have experts opinions such as yours. God Bless you all and also those who are yet to contribute. 

Of course yes; garbage in garbage out.

Few factors during production and processing affect poultry meat flavor. Age of the bird at slaughter (young or mature birds) affect the flavor of the meat. Minor effects on meat flavor are related to bird strain, diet, environmental conditions (litter, ventilation, etc.), scalding temperatures, chilling, product packaging, and storage; however, these effects are too small for consumers to notice.

Yes feed formulation change eggs flavour. what you feed your chickens can affect egg flavor.

if the feed  formulation contain fish meal this effect eggs or meat flavor .

Kwamina, 

Sunday has it correct. The variables are numerous but some of these will be fixed and determined by the equipment you have determining scald method, duration, etc.  The greatest variable that can be controlled outside the mechanical variables and packaging, is feed.  You need to do some reading on feed formulations.  Fish meal, as has already been pointed out, is a major method of altering flavor.  However, fat content of the birds is the carrier of the flavor.  So, why you use to produce fat in a chicken decides what your flavor will be.  The micro nutrients also play a key role here as well.  With 20 billion chickens alive on Earth everyday and 1 trillion eggs produced globally each year, there is a huge amount of research material available.  Good reading.

Has anyone read Andrew Lawler's new book?  

Fish meal in the feed will change the flavor of the meat.

Several factors affect the taste and favor: the breed, sex and age, then you'll talk about the composition of your feed which would affect the taste, flavor and even the colouration of the meat or eggs especially the yolk colour. Bearing in mind that a lot of chemicals -growth promoters, antibiotics and co are used in feed formulation compared to the free choice natural feedstuffs the local chicken feeds on.

The concept of designer eggs and designer meat is wholely based on this phenomonen.e.g.if you add omega-3 in large quantity you will significantly see the difference in taste.offcourse as previously answered by people fish meal is also a contributing factor here.

Zulkemain, your answer is only partly correct.  The source of the omega 3 (flax or fish oil) will have a huge impact on the flavor.  Flax does not carry the fish flavor.  Fishy taste is driven by the quantity of fish meal or fish oil added to the feed.  I am surprised nobody has even mentioned beta carotene as they are also drivers of flavor.  Most of the comments above reflect very little experience in actual formulation and understanding of feed formulations consequential impact.  Most of the answers could be written by undergraduate students.  Any first year graduate student would have more knowledge than is being reflected in the above answers. Nobody is address in the repository of the flavor, fat.   No fat very different flavor, More fat more flavor.  

Feed formulation is important, but it should start with a thorough knowledge of what happens with all the ingredients during digestion and metabolism in the animals before it ends up as meat on our plates.!

Do we know enough about those processes to predict if a certain compound in e.g carotene will really contribute to a (un)wanted flavor in the meat on your plate? This also bearing in mind that the preparation of meat adds quite a bit to the perceived flavor?

Furthermore the one and only perfect taste does not exist. There are huge differences in likes and dislikes between individuals. 

Beta Carotene is color and provides market distinction to consumers.  Lycopene and Lutein are present market examples of Antioxidant Beta Carotene egg products.  I have produced broilers with these elevated levels capable of meeting government labeling requirements.  However, both these important nutrients are more cost effectively delivered in the egg.  

If is not necessary to go to to market understanding how a ingredient impacts flavor but rather that it impacts flavor.  Simple trials will determine that.  

In markets with an abundant food supply (certainly in western Europe) the consumer and his/her wallet determine which products they buy and more importantly buy repeatedly. Only those products which match up to their wishes or expectations will be bought again.

Other products how nicely designed or produced they might be, will not remain on the market for a long period.

Consumers/markets are the boss there and not the producers.

Feed formulation which has an effect on colour will affects the taste of poultry meat and eggs. Thus consumers have their preferences 

Feed do have impact on colour and taste

feed formulation found to have impact on the egg........this i know but i don't know if it have impact on meat taste

The components of the diet of chickens affect on taste of egg and the color of the yolk

Good Luck

Actually shocking that some of you do not know if feed ingredients impact flavour, color and texture.  Omega 3 has been around for nearly 2 decades.  The initial trials focused on fishmeal rather than flax meal for its Omega.  OMG was there a taste difference.  Chicken actually tasted like fish in the higher volume fish oil feed formulations.  Why do you folks not know about this?  To simply state the ingredients do or do not have impact on flavour, color or texture, is a lost opportunity to share your information with other folks in your field.   Come on put some effort into your comments. 

fish meal for instance gives a fishy flavor. In addition, among the oil supplements cotton seed may have undesirable color on egg yolk.

Too much methionine causes meat and egg off flavor due to sulfur , choline and choline containg ingredeints such as rapesees and canola, causes fishy taint in poultry products. Antioxidants improve meat flavor ,also type of added fatts is effective in meat and egg flavor.

so why must methionine be added to feed formula then? can it be avoided without any effect on production?

Dear Kwamina

Methionine is in most feed formulations for poultry the first limiting amino acid. So for good performance it should be added.

Methionine is necessary  for growth without it  low performance , but it should be redeuced or completly ommited from the diet a weak before slaugther.

Also high choline containg ingerduents like canola meal or rapseed meal cause fishy taint due to production of three methel amin which which is excced beyond its excretion from urine causes meat and egg off flavo specially in brown layers.

Some antibiotics affect taste of meat they should be withdraw from the feed a week before killing the birds. 

I have a question concerning broilers and their feed type

Start with consulting the company that breeds and sells them. They should have that type of information,