This genetic study confirmed that selection could be valuable to improve meat characteristics.
The major factors contributing to meat quality were heritable, and no genetic conflict was detected between meat quality and meat quantity. Furthermore, the present results suggest that the ultimate pH of meat is a relevant selection criterion since it was strongly related to meat color, water-holding capacity and texture. More research is
now needed to define the optimal breeding strategy to improve meat quality, which could be based either on classical polygenic selection or on the use of molecular markers. The first Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) of meat
quality traits were recently identified in a cross between experimental chicken lines divergently selected for growth
. Such research has now to be extended to commercial flocks, in order to identify effective molecular tools for
selection on poultry meat quality.