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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #327053
Research Project: Assessment and Improvement of Poultry Meat, Egg, and Feed Quality

Location: Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit

Title: Wooden breast condition results in reduced thaw loss in frozen-thawed broiler breast fillets

Author
item Zhuang, Hong
item Bowker, Brian

Submitted to: International Poultry Scientific Forum
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/13/2015
Publication Date: 1/25/2016
Citation: Zhuang, H., Bowker, B.C. 2016. Wooden breast condition results in reduced thaw loss in frozen-thawed broiler breast fillets. International Poultry Scientific Forum. Poultry Science, volume 95(E-Suppl. 1), page 200.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Wooden breast condition (WBC) is an emerging quality issue with broiler breast meat that significantly affects both raw and cooked meat properties. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of WBC on meat water-holding capacity (WHC) estimated with different methods. Broiler breast fillets deboned at 3 h postmortem were collected from a commercial plant and categorized as normal, moderate, or severe WBC based on the incidence and severity of diffuse hardened areas throughout fillets and the degree of palpable rigidity. At 24 h postmortem, fillets were either cooked or frozen in a -20oC freezer. Thaw loss was determined based on the differences in fillet weights pre-freezing and post-thawing after the frozen samples were placed in a 4oC cooler for 24 h. Both fresh and frozen-thawed fillets were cooked to an endpoint temperature of 78oC and cook loss was measured based on fillet weight differences pre- and post-cooking. The entire experiment was repeated three times on three separate days. Results showed that the average thaw loss of normal fillets (5.2%) was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than that of the fillets categorized as either moderate (3.3%) or severe (3.9%) WBC, which did not differ from each other (P > 0.05). Regardless of meat freshness, cook loss of fillets with either moderate or severe WBC was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than that of normal samples. These results demonstrate that the effects of wooden breast condition on WHC vary with the methods used to measure meat WHC. Wooden breast condition increases cook loss of chicken breast fillets; however, it results in reduced thaw loss in frozen-thawed broiler breast fillets.