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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #314887

Title: Poultry breast meat attributes and marination performance

Author
item Zhuang, Hong
item Bowker, Brian

Submitted to: Midwest Poultry Federation Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/17/2015
Publication Date: 3/17/2015
Citation: Zhuang, H., Bowker, B.C. 2015. Poultry breast meat attributes and marination performance. Midwest Poultry Federation Proceedings. Online Publication.

Interpretive Summary: The increasing demands of turkey products by consumers have shifted turkey sales from whole birds to further processed products that now compose a large proportion of the turkey market (Owens et al., 2000). Marination is a widely-used technology for further processed meat products. Experiments have shown that processing variables can significantly affect marination performance of turkey breast meat. However, there are very limited studies on the relationship between the intrinsic characteristics of the raw poultry breast meat, especially for turkey breast meat, and marination performance. Objective of these experiments was to investigate relationship between the intrinsic characteristics and marination performance in poultry breast meat using broiler breast fillets. Results show that meat pH and color lightness do not affect marinade uptake, but fillet weight negatively impact it. Post-deboning aging enhances salt-induced water gain by muscle, but does not have any significant impact on marinade uptake, marination retention, overall product yield, cooking loss, or final cooked product yield based on fillet color lightness. The effects of marination on meat color lightness of early-deboned breast fillets depended on the initial color attributes of the raw materials. Marination reduced color lightness of both pale and normal broiler breast fillets and had no effect on dark fillets. The intrinsic characteristics of poultry breast meat have limited effects on marination performance.

Technical Abstract: The relationship between intrinsic meat attributes (pH, color, weight, and postmortem age) and marination performance (marinade uptake and retention, and final product yield) were investigated in poultry meat using broiler breast fillets (pectoralis major) as a model. Results showed that marinade uptake was not affected by initial meat pH or color lightness, but was negatively correlated to fillet weight. Post-deboning aging prior to marination did not impact marinade uptake and retention, overall product yield, cooking loss, or final cooked product yield regardless of initial fillet color. The effect of marination on meat color lightness (CIELAB L* values) depended on pre-marination fillet color. Marination reduced color lightness in both pale and normal color breast fillets but had no effect on dark fillets. In conclusion, the intrinsic attributes of poultry breast meat such as pH, color, and post-deboning age have limited effects on vacuum-tumbled marination performance.