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Effects of Electrical Stimulation and Postchill Deboning Time on Texture and Cook Loss of Broiler Breasts Processed Under Commercial Conditions

USDA-ARS, Poultry Processing & Meat Quality Research Unit and Quality Assessment Research Unit, Russell Research Center, P. O. Box 5677, Athens, GA 30604-5677; Phone: 706-546-3418; FAX: 706-546-3633

Correspondence: C. E. Lyon, E-mail:glyon{at}saa.ars.usda.gov

Aging broiler front-halves 4 to 12 h prior to breast muscle removal is costly due to yield loss, required refrigerated space, labor, and equipment, yet many buyers require a specific postchill aging time to ensure optimum tenderness in cooked breast meat. Many treatments have been attempted to shorten or eliminate this aging time while not adversely affecting end-product tenderness. In this study, conducted under commercial conditions, broilers were subjected to one of two treatments: 1) pulsed electric stimulation during bleeding followed by breast deboning immediately after a 1.5 h chill, 2) no pulsed electric stimulation and 1.5 h chilling followed by an additional 2 h aging before breast deboning. Samples were collected for each treatment on three consecutive days. Breasts were evaluated for cook loss and instrumental texture (shear values). Day of processing had a significant effect on raw and cooked weights, cook losses, and shear values. The larger breast muscles from Day 1 were responsible for the differences. Differences due to the electrical treatment (days combined) were significant only for cook loss, with breasts from stimulated carcasses exhibiting 22.77% compared to 21.97% for breasts from the non-stimulated carcasses. Results indicate that use of pulsed electric stimulation during bleeding in combination with breast deboning after 1.5 h chilling is equal to no stimulation, 1.5 h chilling, and 2 h postchill aging prior to breast deboning.

Key Words: cook yield • postchill aging • pulsed electric current • shear value