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Title: Variation of Warner-Bratzler Shear Values Within Early-Deboned Broiler Breast Fillets

Author
item Zhuang, Hong
item Savage, Elizabeth

Submitted to: World Poultry Congress Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/20/2007
Publication Date: 6/30/2008
Citation: Zhuang, H., Savage, E.M. 2008. Variation of Warner-Bratzler Shear Values Within Early-Deboned Broiler Breast Fillets. World Poultry Congress Proceedings.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Warner-Bratzler (WB) shear values are commonly used to assess texture quality of broiler breast fillets. However, it has been demonstrated that meat texture can vary from location to location within the boundaries of individual muscles. The objective of our study was to investigate the variation of WB shear values within early-deboned broiler breast fillets and the effect of cold storage on the variation. Broiler breast fillets were removed from carcasses early post-mortem (2h). Storage treatments included: 0d; 7d at 3oC; 7d at -20oC; and 6d at -20oC plus 1d at 3oC. WB shears were measured using a TA-XTPlus Texture analyzer and a TA-7 WB shear type blade. Our results showed that the average WB shear value of 0d fillets was 10.9 kg and values ranged 2.4 to 25.1 kg. The standard deviation was 3.7 between carcasses, 3.8 between fillets, 4.4 between the tested locations and 4.7 between the WB shear measurements. The average WB shear values of the tested locations within the 0d fillets differed significantly (p < 0.05) with the highest average value in the middle location (11.9 kg). Location differences and standard deviations changed with cold storage. These results demonstrate that the variation of WB shear values is substantial within early-deboned broiler breast fillets and can be affected by storage.