Effects of fillet weight on sensory descriptive flavor and texture profiles of broiler breast meat

Authors: Zhuang, Hong; SAVAGE, ELIZABETH - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/14/2012
Publication Date: 7/1/2012
Citation: Zhuang, H., Savage, E.M. 2012. Effects of fillet weight on sensory descriptive flavor and texture profiles of broiler breast meat. Poultry Science. 91(7):1695-1702.

Interpretive Summary: The success of poultry production over the last decades has resulted from the genetic improvements in growth rates, especially in breast meat yield. However, the effect of such genetic selection on eating quality of poultry meat needs to be investigated. In the present study, we investigated weight effects on eating or sensory quality of cooked broiler breast meat using different size fillets. Our results show that cooked medium fillets were less cohesive and more tender than either cooked large fillets or cooked small fillets. However, cooked large fillets were juicier than cooked small fillets. The juiciness of cooked medium fillets did not differ from either large or small fillets. Small fillets tasted cardboardier than the large and medium fillets, which were not different from each other. These results demonstrate that the breast fillet weight or size can significantly affect the eating quality of cooked meat. Medium size/weight fillets have the best eating quality

Technical Abstract: Four trials were conducted to compare sensory descriptive profiles of cooked broiler breast fillets categorized by fillet (pectoralis major) weight. In each trial, 20 heavy fillets, 20 medium fillets and 20 light fillets (deboned at 6-8h postmortem from 6-week old birds) were obtained from a commercial processing plant. On return to the laboratory, the fillets were trimmed and weighed. Ten fillets for each of 3 weight categories were chosen based on the weight follows: light, average weight = 112 g; medium, average weight 153 g; and heavy, Average weight = 204 g. Descriptive sensory flavor and texture characteristics were measured on the chosen fillets after frozen samples were thawed for 24 h at a refrigerated temperature (2oC) and cooked to an endpoint temperature of 78oC. Sensory evaluations were performed by trained descriptive panelists using 0-15 universal intensity scales for 10 flavor and 8 texture attributes. Our results show that there were significant differences (p < 0.05) in intensity scores of sensory descriptive flavor and texture attributes cardboardy, cohesiveness, hardness and juiciness between the three weight categories. The average cohesiveness and hardness scores of the heavy and light fillets were significantly higher than the medium fillets. The juiciness score of the heavy fillets was significantly higher than the light fillets. However, the juiciness score of the medium fillets did not differ from that of either light or heavy fillets. The average cardboardy score of the light fillets was significantly higher than those of the medium and heavy fillets, which were not different from each other. These results indicate that fillet weight could influence sensory descriptive flavor and texture profiles of broiler breast meat. Heavier fillets have the better sensory flavor quality compared to the light fillets. Medium weight fillets have the better sensory texture quality compared with the lighter and heavier fillets.