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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #172703
Title: EFFECTS OF PRE-EVISCERATION ELECTRICAL STIMULATION AND POLYSPHOSPATE MARINATION ON COLOR AND TEXTURE OF EARLY HARVESTED CHICKEN BROILER BREAST FILLETS

Author
item Young, Louis
item Smith, Douglas
item Cason Jr, John
item WALKER, J - STORK GAMCO

Submitted to: International Journal of Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/30/2004
Publication Date: 2/1/2005
Citation: Young, L.L., Smith, D.P., Cason Jr, J.A., Walker, J.M. 2005. Effects of pre-evisceration electrical stimulation and polysphospate marination on color and texture of early harvested chicken broiler breast fillets. International Journal of Poultry Science. 4:52-54.

Interpretive Summary: Production of consistently tender chicken meat requires an expensive 'resting' stage of several hours between slaughter and manufacture of food products. In order to reduce costs, processing companies sometimes use chemical additives or electrical treatments to reduce the duration of the resting period. This study was conducted to see if the additive and electrical treatments were used together, the results would differ from use of only one treatment or the other. Results indicated that the effects of the treatments are the same regardless of whether the treatments are applied alone or together.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate combined effects of whole carcass electrical stimulation and polyphosphates on moisture absorption and retention by marinated unaged boneless chicken breast fillets. Breast fillets were harvested from electrically stimulated and non-stimulated carcasses immediately after chilling. Half were immediately marinated in saline solution and half in a similar solution containing sodium tripolyphosphate. Muscle pH before and after marination, marinade absorption and cooking loss were recorded. Electrical stimulation immediately depressed muscle pH, but polyphosphate marination mitigated that trend somewhat. Electrical stimulation improved marinade absorption (10.6±0.3% verses 8.8±0.3%) but did not affect cooking loss. Polyphosphates did not affect marinade absorption, but significantly reduced cooking losses (17.3±0.4% verses 14.1±0.4%). No marinade by electrical treatment interactions affecting moisture absorption or retention by the fillets were detected.