Combined effect of electrical stimulation, aging time and marination on quality of chicken breast fillet processed under commercial conditions.
BACKGROUND
Electrical stimulation (ES) in poultry processing is reported in the literature with varying degrees of effectiveness. Furthermore, the combined effects of ES and polyphosphate marination are not completely known. The objective of this study was to evaluate the combined effect of ES, aging time prior to deboning and phosphate marination on meat quality of broiler breast fillets.


RESULTS
The implementation of ES accelerated pH decline in fillets at any aging time studied regardless of marination treatment, but no differences (P > 0.05) were found in pH of fillets deboned without aging. Warner-Bratzler (WB) shear values of ES fillets significantly decreased (P < 0.05) at 2 h of aging whereas WB of non-ES fillets decreased at 6 h of aging in breast meat, with or without marination. In non-marinated fillets the ES treatment reduced (P < 0.05) cooking loss in meat aged 0, 2 and 4 h. In marinated fillets the ES treatment decreased cooking loss at 2, 4, 6 and 8 h of aging.


CONCLUSIONS
ES in carcasses aged 2 or 4 h improves tenderness and reduces cooking loss. Marination improves tenderness in both stimulated and non-stimulated fillets, at all aging times.
Laboratorio de Industrias Cárnicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Alimentación, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos, M. Tavella 1450, 3200 Concordia, Argentina. perlof@fcal.uner.edu.ar
Flavia
F
Perlo
Patricia
P
Bonato
Romina
R
Fabre
Gustavo
G
Teira
Osvaldo
O
Tisocco
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D003132:Commerce; D003296:Cooking; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D011122:Polyphosphates; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
D011122:Polyphosphates