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Title: EFFECTS OF POST-DEFEATHERING ELECTRICAL STIMULATION ON MOISTURE RETENTION CHARACTERISTICS OF BROILER CARCASSES AND PHOSPHATE-MARINATED BREAST FILLETS

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

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/9/2004
Publication Date: 7/25/2004
Citation: Young, L.L., Smith, D.P., Cason Jr, J.A., Buhr, R.J., Walker, J.M. 2004. Effects of post-defeathering electrical stimulation on moisture retention characteristics of broiler carcasses and phosphate-marinated breast fillets [abstract]. Poultry Science. 83(suppl.1):12.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Processing technologies sometimes interact in a way that alters their individual functionalities. The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of simultaneous application of two such technologies, electrical stimulation (ES) of broiler carcasses to improve texture of early harvested breast fillets and marination of breast fillets in sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) solution to enhance moisture absorption and retention. Mixed-sex broiler chickens were conventionally slaughtered. Half were stimulated by pulsed electrical current (220 VAC, 2 s on, 1 s off) for 90 s immediately prior to evisceration and half remained unstimulated. After chilling, breast fillets (P. major) were excised. Half the fillets from each stimulation treatment were marinated in STPP and half without STPP. Chiller water absorption by intact carcasses and pH and moisture absorption and retention by marinated fillets were observed. ES slightly depressed chiller water absorption by the intact carcasses (4.0% v. 4.6%), but its effect on breast fillets was much greater. ES improved marinade absorption by fillets (11.1% v. 9.6%) but did not affect cooking loss. Although the STPP increased fillet pH somewhat (6.28 v. 6.22), it had little effect on marinade absorption (10.1% v. 10.6%); however, fillets marinated without STPP lost more moisture in cooking than those marinated without STPP (17.6% v. 12.4%). No significant statistical interactions between ES- and STPP-treatments were observed in this study. These results suggest that ES affects chiller water absorption by broiler carcasses only slightly and has little effect on the efficacy of STPP in enhancing moisture absorption and retention by marinated breast fillets.