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Title: EFFECTS OF A EUROPEAN STYLE ELECTRICAL STIMULATOR FOR POULTRY PROCESSING ON SHEAR VALUES AND COOK YIELD OF BROILER BREASTS PROCESSED

Author
item Dickens, James
item Cason Jr, John
item Lyon, Clyde
item Young, Louis
item Smith, Douglas
item LOVINGOOD, B - STORK-GAMCO, INC
item WALKER, J - STORK-GAMCO, INC

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2002
Publication Date: 1/20/2003
Citation: Dickens, J.A., Cason Jr, J.A., Lyon, C.E., Young, L.L., Smith, D.P., Lovingood, B.A., Walker, J.M. 2003. Effects of a european style electrical stimulator for poultry processing on shear values and cook yield of broiler breasts processed. [abstract] Poultry Science. International Poultry Scientific Forum. p.47. #201.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Interest is growing in the U. S. and Europe on the application of pulsed electric current (PEC) to improve poultry meat quality and yield, but European processing and stimulation procedures differ from those used in the U. S. In Europe, carcasses are stimulated after defeathering, contact points being the feet and the sternum and carcasses are air chilled. In the U. S., PEC is applied during bleeding, contact from head to foot and carcasses are water chilled. This study was conducted to test European-style stimulation under domestic processing conditions. Carcasses (120; 3 reps of 10 per treatment) were stunned at 12 V pulsated DC for 10 s, killed by mechanically severing the carotid artery and jugular vein, and bled for 90 s. Carcasses passed through a three stage scald at 56 C for 2 min and were defeathered in a commercial picker for 15 s. Carcasses were then either held for 90 s and transferred to the eviscerating line, or moved to the stimulator for 90 s then to the evisceration line. Eviscerated carcasses were either chilled in a simulated commercial immersion paddle chiller for 1 h and then held for 2 h at 4C prior to deboning or immersion chilled for 3 h then deboned. Fillets were weighed, vacuum bagged, and held at 2 C. The next morning, fillets were heated in a steam jacketed kettle at 80 C to a minimum internal temperature of 78 C. After tempering the fillets were weighed and two 1.9 cm wide strips were cut parallel to the muscle fiber and trimmed to 1.9 cm high. Each strip was sheared twice using a Warner-Bratzler dynamic shear apparatus and peak load was recorded in kg. Mean fillet shear values and cook yield for the 1 h chill followed by 2 h at 4 C were 7.0 kg and 80.6% respectively for the non-stimulated and 3.4 kg and 82% respectively for the stimulated groups. Values for the 3 h chill were 8.5 kg and 78.7% respectively for the non-stimulated and 3.6 kg and 80.7% respectively for the stimulated fillets. Chilling and PEC both had significant effects on cooked yields. The PEC had a significant effect on shear, but the magnitude of the effect varied between replications. PEC under this protocol could increase profits for the processor and a more tender product for the consumer.