Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #292232

Title: Effect of thawing methods on cook yield of frozen broiler breast fillets deboned at different postmortem times

Author
item Zhuang, Hong
item SAVAGE, ELIZABETH - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: Poultry Science Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/22/2013
Publication Date: 7/22/2013
Citation: Zhuang, H., Savage, E.M. 2013. Effect of thawing methods on cook yield of frozen broiler breast fillets deboned at different postmortem times [abstract]. Poultry Science Meeting.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The influence of thawing conditions on weight loss or cook yield of frozen red meat has been intensively studied and results varied with meat types. There is a lack of information about the effect of thawing methods on cook yield of frozen white meat. The objective of the present study was to investigate effects of three different thawing methods on cook yield of white meat using broiler breast fillets (pectoralis major) deboned at different postmortem times. Breast fillets were hot-boned (about 45 min postmortem), cold-deboned 2 h postmortem, or cold-deboned 24 h postmortem from Broiler carcasses (42-d old birds). Samples were then individually weighted, vacuum packed in cooking bags, and stored in a -20oC freezer. Frozen fillets were thawed in a refrigerator (2oC) for 24 h, in a water bath (22oC) for 2 h, or thawed during cooking (cooked directly from a frozen state). The samples were cooked in a combi oven to the endpoint temperature of 78oC. Results showed that overall cook yield of the hot-boned fillets was higher (p<0.01) than that of the cold-deboned fillets (by 2.7%). Cooking after thawed resulted in higher (p<0.01) cook yield (by more than 2.5%) than cooking from frozen. For the cold-deboned fillets (regardless of cold-deboning time), there were no differences between the three thawing methods for cook yield. However, for the hot-boned sample, the thawing method significantly affected cook yield of frozen fillet (p<0.01). These results suggest that thawing methods can affect cook yield of frozen white meat, and the effect may vary with the time breast meat is removed from carcasses.