The impact of dietary supplementation of essential oils on broilers' growth performance and meat quality

Abstract

Antibiotics have been used as feed additives in the past decades for growth promotion effect. Since the ban of antibiotics as growth promoters by the EU in 2006, non-antibiotic alternatives have attracted huge interest from the livestock production industry. Essential oils derived from natural plant extracts are used to enhance the meat quality via its unique aroma property and high concentrations of active compounds.