Influence of the woody breast condition on the marination and quality of intact and portioned broiler breast fillets.

Authors: Bowker, Brian; MAXWELL, ALEX - University Of Georgia; Zhuang, Hong

Submitted to: European Symposium on Quality of Poultry Meat
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/30/2017
Publication Date: 9/3/2017
Citation: Bowker, B.C., Maxwell, A., Zhuang, H. 2017. Influence of the woody breast condition on the marination and quality of intact and portioned broiler breast fillets.Proceedings of the European Symposium on Quality of Poultry Meat. 74.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The distinct tactile and histological characteristics of the woody breast (WB) myopathy are more evident on the ventral-cranial surface of broiler breast fillets. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of WB on the processing performance and quality of horizontally portioned breast fillets. Normal (no WB) and WB butterfly fillets were assigned control (non-marinated) or marinated (vacuum-tumbled with salt-phosphate marinade) treatments. Fillets were processed and measured as either intact fillets or dorsal and ventral fillet portions. For both intact fillets and portioned samples, marinade uptake and retention were lower in WB meat. Dorsal fillet portions exhibited greater marinade uptake and retention than ventral portions. In non-marinated samples, cook yield was lower in WB meat. In marinated intact fillets and ventral portions, cook yield was lower in WB meat. The cook yields of normal and WB dorsal portions were similar following marination. For both marinated and non-marinated ventral fillet portions, WB meat exhibited greater cooked shear force than normal meat. Shear force was similar between normal and WB dorsal portions. Data demonstrate that the negative influences of WB on marination, cooking, and texture properties are most severe in the ventral portions of the Pectoralis major muscles.