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Effects of Chilling Time and Belt Flattening on Physical Characteristics, Yield and Tenderness of Broiler Breasts

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

S. F. Bilgili

Poultry Science Department and Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University, AL 36849-5416

J. A. Dickens

USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Russell Research Center, Poultry Processing & Meat Quality Research Unit, P. O. Box 5677, Athens, GA 30604-5677

Correspondence: C. E. Lyon

Removing the large breast muscle from broiler carcasses prior to the resolution of rigor mortis results in tough cooked meat. However, the practice of holding carcasses or front halves 8 to 24 hr after chilling prior to deboning to ensure tenderness in the cooked meat is costly with regard to refrigerated space, equipment, and labor. This study determined the effect of extending the chilling time (1, 2, or 3 hr) and subjecting the deboned breast muscles to belt flattening on subsequent physical dimensions (length and width), yield, and tenderness of the cooked meat. Maximum length, width, and weight of each muscle were recorded before and after flattening, and cooked yield and objective texture (tenderness) were evaluated to determine if a combination of the two treatments would eliminate the need to age carcasses for prolonged times prior to deboning.

For objective texture, increasing the chilling time resulted in less force necessary to shear the cooked meat, and flattened breasts required less force to shear than did the unflattened breasts. Belt flattening resulted in a loss in weight and an increase in surface area (length and width) of the raw muscle. The combination of carcass chilling for 2 hr followed by belt flattening resulted in cooked meat that would be considered "very tender. "

Key Words: Belt flattening • chicken breasts • extended chilling • length • tenderness • width • yield