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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 #359888
Research Project: Assessment and Improvement of Poultry Meat, Egg, and Feed Quality

Location: Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit

Title: Influence of utilizing breast meat afflicted with woody breast myopathy on sausage textural properties

Author
item RIGDON, MACC - University Of Georgia
item STELZLENI, ALEXANDER - University Of Georgia
item Bowker, Brian
item Zhuang, Hong
item PRINGLE, DEAN - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: International Poultry Scientific Forum
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/20/2018
Publication Date: 2/11/2019
Citation: Rigdon, M., Stelzleni, A., Bowker, B.C., Zhuang, H., Pringle, D. 2019. Influence of utilizing breast meat afflicted with woody breast myopathy on sausage textural properties. International Poultry Scientific Forum. Poultry Science, 98(E-Suppl.1):9. (abstract M26).

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Woody breast (WB) myopathy reduces the utility and value of breast meat for the broiler industry. It is hypothesized that WB meat may be included in comminuted products to increase utility and ultimately add value to the broiler industry. Current literature is void of the effects that WB inclusion has on further processed products. The objective of this research was to evaluate the quality of sausage made with WB meat of varying degrees of severity. For each of three replications broiler breast meat (normal, moderate WB, and severe WB) and abdominal fat were obtained from a commercial poultry processor. Breast meat was coarse ground (19-mm) and combined with fat (targeting 15%) to produce 10-kg batches representing 25%, 50%, and 100% moderate WB meat, 25%, 50%, 100% severe WB meat, and a 100% normal control. The batches were then reground (4.8-mm), mixed for 1 min with 1.5% salt, and stuffed into 35-mm natural casings. Links were placed in individual bags, cooked to 70 C in a water-bath, and allowed to cool to room temperature before hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness were evaluated using texture profile analysis. Individual sausage links were weighed before and after cooking for the calculation of cook loss. Data were analyzed using SAS version 9.3 with a fixed effects design with replication as a random effect. Sausage hardness tended to be softer (P=0.06) as WB inclusion rate and severity increased. Cohesiveness and springiness were not different between treatments(P=0.53, P=0.95, respectively). Gumminess decreased (P<0.05) as severity and inclusion of WB increased indicating a lack of bind, which was further supported by the decline in chewiness (P<0.05). Only 25% moderate WB and 50% severe WB were as light in color (L*) as the normal breast meat control. In cooked sausage, 25% and 50% inclusion of WB meat regardless of severity were as light in color (L*) as 100% normal formulations. With no difference in cook loss (P=0.08), the data presented indicates that moderate and severe WB meat can be included in the formulation of linked sausages to increase utility and value of broiler WB meat.