title: Moisture retention by water- and air-chilled chicken broilers during processing and cutup operations.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of storage and cutting on moisture retention by air- and water-chilled broiler chickens. Sixty-four broilers were slaughtered, chilled by cold air or immersion in water, stored over night, cut into fore- and hindquarters, and then stored an additional 24 h. Air chilling conditions were 4 degrees C with air velocity of 2.2 m3/min. Water chilling conditions were 1 degree C with mechanical agitation. Moisture absorption and retention were observed as weight changes throughout the process. Air-chilled carcasses lost an average of 0.68% of their postslaughter weight in storage prior to cutting but lost no more during cutting or postcutting storage. The water-chilled carcasses absorbed 11.7% moisture in chilling but retained 6.98% through precutting storage, 6.00% through cutting and 3.90% through postcutting storage. These data offer baseline values for use in complying with new USDA processing standards.
authors.affiliation: Richard B. Russell Agricultural Research Center, P.O. Box 5677, Athens, Georgia 30604-5677, USA. lyoung@saa.ars.usda.gov
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005525:Food-Processing Industry / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards*; D013997:Time Factors; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water