Effects of stunning duration on quality characteristics of early deboned chicken fillets.
The objective of this study was to determine effects of electrical stunning duration on quality of broiler chicken fillets. Seventy-two broiler chickens were electrically stunned for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 s, slaughtered, and chilled. After 1 h post-mortem, both pectoral muscles were excised and cooked. Cooking loss, pH, cooked color values, and shear values were measured. As stunning time increased, pH and shear values significantly increased. Except for a small but significant increase in yellowness, color values were unaffected by stunning duration. Cooking loss was unaffected by stunning duration. These data indicate that stunning duration can affect post-mortem muscle metabolism as measured by pH change. Therefore, control of the process of slaughtering broilers requires careful regulation of stunning duration.
Young
L L
LL
Richard B. Russell Agricultural Research Center, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Athens, Georgia 30604-5677, USA.
Buhr
R J
RJ
D000003:Abattoirs; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005524:Food Technology / Q000592:standards*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors