Amino Acid Composition of Breast and Thigh Meat from Broilers Produced in Four Locations of the United States

Broiler breast and thigh meat samples from birds grown and processed in four locations of the United States were analyzed for amino acid composition. On a percent protein basis amounts of valine, leucine, isoleucine, and histidine were significantly greater (p < 0.01) in breast meat and glycine, hydroxyproline, hydroxylysine, threonine, and serine were greater in thigh meat. Area of production and/or related management practices appeared to influence the concentrations of about half the amino acids. Meat from male broilers had more hydroxyproline than did meat from females.