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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 #340332
Research Project: Assessment and Improvement of Poultry Meat, Egg, and Feed Quality

Location: Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit

Title: Marination and meat quality of intact and portioned broiler breast fillets with the woody breast condition

Author
item Bowker, Brian
item MAXWELL, ALEX - University Of Georgia
item Zhuang, Hong

Submitted to: International Congress of Meat Science and Technology Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/10/2017
Publication Date: 8/13/2017
Citation: Bowker, B.C., Maxwell, A., Zhuang, H. 2017. Marination and meat quality of intact and portioned broiler breast fillets with the woody breast condition. International Congress of Meat Science and Technology Proceedings. http://icomst-proceedings.helsinki.fi/papers/2017_03_30.pdf.

Interpretive Summary: This study demonstrated that the negative influences of the woody breast (WB) myopathy on marination performance, cook loss, and meat texture in broiler breast fillets were not uniform throughout the Pectoralis major. Problems with product yield and cooked meat toughness were most severe in the ventral portions (skin-side) of the breast fillets. In the dorsal fillet portions (bone-side), the WB condition did not impact cook loss in marinated meat or significantly alter cooked meat shear force. Thus, processors may be able to utilize breast fillet portioning and portion specific marination strategies to better manage the processing and meat quality problems associated with the WB myopathy in broiler breast fillets.

Technical Abstract: This study investigated the effects of woody breast (WB) on marination performance and meat quality of intact and horizontally portioned broiler breast fillets. Marinade uptake and retention were lower in WB meat compared to normal meat (no WB). Dorsal portions had greater marinade uptake and retention than ventral portions. For intact fillets and ventral portions, cook loss was greater in WB meat. For marinated dorsal portions, cook loss was similar between normal and WB meat. Ventral portions from WB meat exhibited greater cooked shear force. Shear force was similar between normal and WB dorsal portions. Results demonstrated that the negative influence of WB on marination and meat texture were most severe in the ventral portion of the Pectoralis major.