Effect of deboning time and muscle type on dielectric properties of uncooked chicken breast muscles at 5 degrees C

Authors: Zhuang, Hong; Nelson, Stuart; Trabelsi, Samir; Savage, Elizabeth

Submitted to: Joint Meeting of the ADSA, AMSA, ASAS and PSA
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/28/2007
Publication Date: 7/8/2007
Citation: Zhuang, H., Nelson, S.O., Trabelsi, S., Savage, E.M. 2007. Effect of deboning time and muscle type on dielectric properties of uncooked chicken breast muscles at 5 degrees C. Joint Meeting of the ADSA, AMSA, ASAS and PSA.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Color, pH, water-holding capacity and texture (or tenderness) are the most commonly-used quality indicators for chicken meat, and they can be significantly affected by deboning time and muscle type. So far, little attempt has been made to assess and monitor these quality indicators during processing at a refrigerated temperature by using rapid and non-destructive instrumental methods. Dielectric properties measurements have potential to assess raw meat quality nondestructively. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of muscle type and deboning time on dielectric properties of uncooked chicken breast meat at 5 degrees C. The dielectric properties, consisting of the dielectric constant and loss factor, were measured with an open-ended coaxial-line probe and impedance analyzer for uncooked chicken breast muscle Pectoralis major and Pectoralis minor, deboned at 2- and 24-h postmortem, at frequencies of 10, 26, 900 and 1800 MHz and 5 degrees C. The quality indicators were also measured. Our study shows that there are no differences in the dielectric constant and loss factor values for the two deboning times or for the two muscle types. However, the deboning time significantly (p < 0.1) affects the average values of the loss tangent (dielectric loss factor/dielectric constant) at frequencies 26, 900 and 1800 MHz, and the muscle type significantly (p < 0.1) affects the loss tangent at 900 MHz. The deboning time and/or muscle type have also significant effects (p < 0.05) on the quality indicators, color (L* value), pH, water-holding capacity, drip loss, and texture (Warner-Bratzler shear force value). These results suggest that there is a potential for using dielectric properties measurements, or specifically the loss tangent, to assess the quality, deboning time, and/or muscle types of chicken meat at a refrigerated temperature during the processing. Further studies are needed to determine the relationships between dielectric property measurements and the quality indicators, deboning time and muscle types.