title: Tenderness, moisture loss and post-mortem metabolism of broiler Pectoralis muscle from electrically stimulated and air chilled carcases.
abstract: 1. This study was to evaluate the effects of post-mortem electrical stimulation (ES) on carcase moisture loss and on tenderness, R-value and pH of breast fillets following air chilling. 2. In each of 4 replications, 8 birds were electrically stimulated and 12 birds were controls. The ES birds were stimulated at the head in a 1% saline bath (450 V, 0.45 A, 2 s on/1 s off for 7 pulses). After evisceration the carcases were air chilled in a cooler at 1 to 2 degrees C with an average relative humidity of 91% and an air speed of 44 m/min. 3. Breast fillets were harvested at 2 and 4 h postmortem from both ES and control carcases and also at 8 h postmortem from control carcases to determine moisture loss pH and R-value. 4. Although there was no significant effect of ES on shear value at 2 h postmortem, the ES fillets had a lower shear value mean than the control fillets at 4 h postmortem. There was no significant difference between the shear value means of the ES 4 h fillets and the control 8 h fillets. 5. ES accelerated the normal post-mortem decline in pH at both 2 and 4 h postmortem. 6. The R-value means for the control and ES samples were similar 2 h but the R-value mean of the ES samples was greater than the control at 4 h postmortem. 7. The results suggest that, when followed by air chilling, ES accelerates postmortem metabolism, reduces ageing by up to 50%, and has no effect upon evaporative moisture loss.
authors.affiliation: Department of Poultry Science, Texas A & M University, College Station 77843-2472, USA.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Skarovsky
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sams
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005511:Food Handling; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards*; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000378:metabolism*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012298:Rigor Mortis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water