Effect of freezing on the quality of breast meat from broilers affected by wooden breast myopathy

The Effect of Different Freezing and Thawing Methods on Physicochemical, Sensory, and Flavor Characteristics of Korean Native Chicken Breast

This study compared the physicochemical, sensory, and flavor-related properties of breast from two Korean native chicken (KNC) breeds, Woorimatdag No. 1 (WRMD1) and Woorimatdag No. 2 (WRMD2), to those of broilers, under fresh and various freeze-thaw treatments. WRMD1 generally exhibited the highest shear force value among the breeds, indicating tougher meat. The total aerobic bacteria count was significantly lower (p<0.05) in broiler meat compared to WRMD1 and WRMD2. The appearance perception on the sensory evaluation of fresh WRMD1 meat was significantly lower than that of broiler meat (p<0.05). The chicken breed influenced the fatty acid profile. The KNC breeds exhibited higher levels of essential and taste-related fatty acids compared to the broilers. Notably, WRMD1 exhibited the highest inosine monophosphate concentration, a key nucleotide responsible for umami taste. The freeze-thaw treatment did not significantly influence the fatty acid profile. Several volatile organic compounds such as (S)-(+)-3-methyl-1-pentanol, propanal, 2-methyl-, sec-butylamine, 3,3-dimethyl-1,2-epoxybutane, hexanal, 5-methyl-, 1-octen-3-ol, and 5-ethylcyclopent-1-enecarboxaldehyde were identified as potential markers for differentiating broiler and KNC meat. Overall, the breed had a more significant impact on the physicochemical and flavor characteristics of the meat, while quick freezing effectively preserved its fresh quality.

Ultrasound combined with Adenosine 5'-Monophosphate Treatment: A Strategic Approach for enhancing the tenderness of chicken wooden breast meat

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ultrasound and adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) treatments on the quality characteristics and tenderness of chicken wooden breast (CWB). Compared to normal breast, CWB exhibits distinct quality characteristics, including increased weight, higher pH, pale color, and a firmer texture. It was found that ultrasound, AMP, and their combined application significantly reduced the shear force of CWB (p < 0.05), effectively improving its tenderness. The combined treatment of ultrasound and AMP significantly decreased the filtering residues of myofibrillar proteins (MPs) and increased myofibrillar fragmentation index (p < 0.05). MPs structure analysis showed that the combined ultrasound and AMP treatment facilitated the degradation of tropomyosin, the transformation of α-helix into β-sheet, and decreased intensity of tryptophan fluorescence, promoting MPs degradation and improving CWB tenderness. Pathological analysis and scanning electron microscopy also observed muscle fiber damage and the loss of myofibrillar membrane integrity following the combined treatment. These findings highlight the potential of AMP and ultrasound treatments in the tenderization process of CWB.

Relationships of quality indices with wooden breast myopathy severity in chicken breast meat under refrigerated storage

1. This study investigated the relationships of quality indices with the severity of wooden breast (WB) myopathy in chicken breast meat under refrigerated storage. The physicochemical properties, water-holding capacity (WHC), microbial quality and fatty acid profiles of normal chicken breast meat samples (NOR samples, n = 63), moderate WB (MWB, n = 63) myopathy and severe WB (SWB, n = 63) myopathy (MWB and SWB samples, respectively) were evaluated immediately after sampling and after 4 and 8 d of refrigerated storage at 4°C.2. Total collagen, fat, saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid contents, redness and pH of the SWB and MWB samples were higher than the NOR samples. The SWB samples that were stored for 8 d had poor WHC, total viable counts (TVC) of higher than 7.0log colony-forming units, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content of greater than 15 mg/100 g and a thiobarbituric acid - reactive substance level of higher than 1 mg/kg malondialdehyde.3. No significant difference was observed in the TVB-N content and TVC of the MWB and NOR samples during storage. Polyunsaturated fatty acid content was lower in the SWB and MWB samples than in the NOR samples. The SWB samples were tougher than the MWB and NOR samples after 8 d of refrigeration.4. In conclusion, the quality of chicken breast meat with SWB myopathy degraded considerably over time; thus, such meat should not be subjected to extended refrigeration for storage.

Valorization of Dairy and Fruit/Berry Industry By-Products to Sustainable Marinades for Broilers' Wooden Breast Meat Quality Improvement

The study aims to improve the quality of wooden breast meat (WBM) via the use of newly developed marinades based on selected strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in combination with the by-products of the dairy and fruit/berry industries. Six distinct marinades were produced based on milk permeate (MP) fermented with Lacticaseibacillus casei (Lc) and Liquorilactobacillus uvarum (Lu) with the addition of apple (ApBp) and blackcurrant (BcBp) processing by-products. The microbiological and acidity parameters of the fermented marinades were evaluated. The effects of marinades on the microbiological, technical, and physicochemical properties of meat were assessed following 24 and 48 h of WBM treatment. It was established that LAB viable counts in marinades were higher than 7.00 log10 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL and, after 48 h of marination, enterobacteria and molds/yeasts in WBM were absent. Marinated (24 and 48 h) WBM showed lower dry-matter and protein content, as well as water holding capacity, and exhibited higher drip loss (by 8.76%) and cooking loss (by 12.3%) in comparison with controls. After WBM treatment, biogenic amines decreased; besides, the absence of spermidine and phenylethylamine was observed in meat marinated for 48 h with a marinade prepared with Lu. Overall, this study highlights the potential advantages of the developed sustainable marinades in enhancing the safety and quality attributes of WBM.