Marination effects on water states and water-holding capacity of broiler pectoralis major muscle with different color lightness

Authors: Zhuang, Hong; SAVAGE, ELIZABETH - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: European Symposium on Quality of Poultry Meat
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/29/2011
Publication Date: 9/4/2011
Citation: Zhuang, H., Savage, E. 2011. Marination effects on water states and water-holding capacity of broiler pectoralis major muscle with different color lightness [abstract]. European Symposium on Quality of Poultry Meat.

Interpretive Summary: A total of four experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of marination on water states and water-holding capacity (WHC) of broiler pectoralis (p.) major muscle selected based on raw muscle color lightness. Boneless, skinless p. major were collected at 6-8 h postmortem from deboning lines at a commercial processing plant, and separated into one of three categories based on meat CIE L* values: light, medium and dark. The muscle was marinated with a solution containing NaCl and sodium tripolyphosphate at 4C for 24 h. Moisture content, drip loss, expressible fluid and salt-induced water gain were measured. Regardless of meat color lightness, there was no significant difference in moisture content between the marinated and non-marinated samples, indicating that the marination does not affect the total water content of broiler breast meat. However, the % salt-induced water gain and expressible fluid values were significantly higher for marinated samples, suggesting that marination results in increased ability of broiler breast meat to hold added water, and total intracellular and extracellular water content. For drip loss, there were no differences between marination treatments for the medium and dark p. major; however, drip loss was significantly reduced for the light p. major by marination. These results indicate that marination can reduce free water in only pale or light color broiler breast meat. This study demonstrates that the marination effects on water states and WHC of chicken breast meat vary with the water states, the methods used for WHC estimation, and meat color lightness.

Technical Abstract: A total of four experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of marination on water states and water-holding capacity (WHC) of broiler pectoralis (p.) major muscle selected based on raw muscle color lightness. Boneless, skinless p. major were collected at 6-8 h postmortem from deboning lines at a commercial processing plant, and separated into one of three categories based on meat CIE L* values: light, medium and dark. The muscle was marinated with a solution containing NaCl and sodium tripolyphosphate at 4C for 24 h. Moisture content, drip loss, expressible fluid and salt-induced water gain were measured. Regardless of meat color lightness, there was no significant difference in moisture content between the marinated and non-marinated samples, indicating that the marination does not affect the total water content of broiler breast meat. However, the % salt-induced water gain and expressible fluid values were significantly higher for marinated samples, suggesting that marination results in increased ability of broiler breast meat to hold added water, and total intracellular and extracellular water content. For drip loss, there were no differences between marination treatments for the medium and dark p. major; however, drip loss was significantly reduced for the light p. major by marination. These results indicate that marination can reduce free water in only pale or light color broiler breast meat. This study demonstrates that the marination effects on water states and WHC of chicken breast meat vary with the water states, the methods used for WHC estimation, and meat color lightness.