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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 #359886
Research Project: Assessment and Improvement of Poultry Meat, Egg, and Feed Quality

Location: Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit

Title: Effect of spaghetti meat abnormality on broiler chicken breast meat quality

Author
item TASONIERO, GIULUA - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item Zhuang, Hong
item Bowker, Brian

Submitted to: International Poultry Scientific Forum
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/20/2018
Publication Date: 2/11/2019
Citation: Tasoniero, G., Zhuang, H., Bowker, B.C. 2019. Effect of spaghetti meat abnormality on broiler chicken breast meat quality. International Poultry Scientific Forum. Poultry Science, 98(E-Suppl.1):68. (abstract P223).

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Spaghetti Meat (SM) is an emerging muscular abnormality of broiler chicken Pectoralis major muscles that is macroscopically characterized by an extremely soft consistency and stringy/mushy appearance. The aim of the study was to provide information on the effects of SM myopathy on proximate composition and protein functionality of affected chicken breast meat. For this study, 30 severe SM and 30 unaffected (normal, N) fillets were collected during two sampling sessions. Drip loss, ultimate pH, salt-induced water uptake, and proximate composition were assessed. Muscle collagen content (soluble and insoluble) and muscle protein solubility (total and sarcoplasmic) were also quantified. Analysis of variance was carried out using a mixed model that included group (N and SM) as a fixed effect and sampling repetition as a random effect. Means were separated using Bonferroni adjustments and P < 0.05 was considered significant. Spaghetti Meat affected fillets were heavier (N = 483 vs SM = 564 g; P < 0.0001) and lost a higher amount of drip compared to their normal counterpart (N = 1.22 vs SM = 1.44 %; P = 0.0131) despite exhibiting a higher pH (N = 5.84 vs SM = 5.99; P < 0.0001). Differences in salt-induced water uptake, cook loss and final yield between N and SM groups were not statistically significant. However, the values obtained suggested a potential impairment of water-holding capacity in affected meat. As for proximate composition, a higher moisture content (N = 75.4 vs SM = 76.8%; P = 0.0012) was detected in SM affected meat, together with a lower protein level (N = 22.2 vs SM =20.4%; P < 0.0001). The two groups exhibited similar fat and ash percentages, as well as similar soluble and insoluble collagen amounts. SM affected fillets were characterized by lower total protein solubility (N = 229 vs SM = 203 mg protein/g muscle tissue; P < 0.0001), while the values of sarcoplasmic protein solubility remained statistically similar between SM and N groups. These data indicate that the Spaghetti Meat abnormality adversely impacts chicken breast meat nutritional value and some functionality attributes fundamental for further processing.