The woody breast condition affects the surface color of cooked broiler breast fillets

Authors: Zhuang, Hong; Bowker, Brian

Submitted to: Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/5/2017
Publication Date: 7/17/2017
Citation: Zhuang, H., Bowker, B.C. 2017. The woody breast condition affects the surface color of cooked broiler breast fillets. Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract. 96:85.

Interpretive Summary: n/a

Technical Abstract: The woody breast condition (WBC) is an emerging muscle myopathy observed in broiler breast fillets (Pectoralis major). Experiments have shown that the WBC affects properties (pH, color, and marination performance) of raw broiler breast meat and texture quality of both raw and cooked broiler breast fillets. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of WBC on the cooked color characteristics of both non-marinated and marinated breast meat. Broiler breast fillets (deboned at 3 h post-mortem) were collected from a commercial plant and sorted into normal and severe WBC categories based on palpable hardness and rigidity throughout the breast fillets. Marinated samples were vacuum-tumbled for 20 min with 20% (wt/wt) marinade to meat ratio with the marinade consisting of 5% salt and 3% sodium tripolyphosphate. Samples were cooked to 76C in individual cooking bags in a combi-steam oven. Color (CIELAB L*a*b*) on both the ventral and dorsal surfaces of cooked fillets was measured using a Minolta spectrophotometer CM-700d. On the ventral surfaces (skin-side) of the fillets, the WBC caused an increase in the a* and b* values of both non-marinated and marinated fillets, but a decrease in the L* values by approximately 12 units for non-marinated fillets and 8 units for marinated fillets. Marination itself caused a decrease in the b* values but had minimal impact on a* values. Similar relationships were observed on the dorsal surfaces (bone-side) of the fillets, but the absolute color value differences were smaller than on the ventral surfaces. In WBC fillets L* values were approximately 1 unit lower and b* values were approximately 1 unit higher than in normal fillets; however, a* values were unaffected by the WBC. Marination did not impact L* values but caused a decrease in a* and b* on the dorsal surfaces of both normal and WBC fillets. These results demonstrate that the severe WBC significantly influences the surface color of cooked broiler fillets. Marination reduces the effect of the WBC on the surface color of cooked fillets. Large reductions in lightness (indicated by L* values) on the ventral surfaces of the cooked WBC fillets further indicate that the WBC could cause noticeable differences in the cooked fillet appearance.