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Title: EFFECT OF ELECTRICAL STUNNING ON PH AND SHEAR VALUES OF EARLY-HARVESTED CHICKEN BREAST FILLETS

Author
item YOUNG, LOUIS
item BUHR, R. - UNIV. OF GEORGIA

Submitted to: Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine effects of electrical stunning on some quality attributes of chicken broiler fillets. Seventy two commercially reared broiler chickens were electrically stunned at a constant 50 volts (a.c.) for 0,2 ,4 ,6, 8, or 10 s and then slaughtered and chilled. The pectoral muscles were excised, cooked and evaluated for raw pH, cooking loss, cooked internal color values, and shear values. As stunning time increased, pH increased. Effects of electrical stunning on muscle pH have been controversial. Early reports indicated that the main effect of electorial stunning was that it delayed glycolysis, but more recent data indicated that the main effect is due to inhibition of post-mortem struggle. The present data suggest that inhibition of struggle may not be the only effect of electrical stunning. As stunning duration increased, shear values also increased. As in the case of muscle pH, reports of effects of electrical stunning on shear values have not always been consistent. Some reports have concluded that the stunning decreased shear values, some that it has no effect on shear values, and still others, the majority, indicate that electrical stunning increased shear values. The present data support the last conclusion. These data indicate that stunning duration is yet another variable which processors may need to control in order to have overall process control.