EFFECT OF ELECTRICAL-STIMULATION IN COMBINATION WITH CALCIUM-CHLORIDEOR SODIUM-CHLORIDE TREATMENTS AT CONSTANT IONIC-STRENGTH ON MOISTURE BINDING AND TEXTURAL QUALITY OF EARLY-HARVESTED BREAST FILLETS

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of a CaCl2 or Na Cl treatment combined with electrical stimulation (ES) on textural and moisture binding of early-harvested chicken breast fillets. During ex sanguination, half the birds were subjected to ES, and then all carcas ses were aged for 30, 60, 90, or 120 min before excising both Pectoral is major muscles. Half the muscles were chilled with a NaCl solution a nd half with a CaCl2 solution. Effects of ES and chill medium composit ion on meat pH, moisture absorption, cooking loss, and shear value of the fillets were assessed. The ES reduced meat pH for the NaCl-treated muscles, but had no effect on those treated with CaCl2 or on moisture absorbed during chilling. Cooking loss was greater for the CaCl2-trea ted than NaCl-treated muscles and for muscles from stimulated birds th at were excised more than 30 min post-mortem. Shear values were unaffe cted by chilling medium composition. However, even though shear values for both ES and unstimulated birds declined as aging time increased, the rate of decline was greater, and ultimate shear value lower, for m uscles from ES birds. Results indicate that, although ES might offer s ome advantage in improving the tenderness of early-harvested breast fi llets, combining ES with CaCl2 treatment offers no real advantage. Mor eover, reductions in moisture binding properties by these technologies might limit applicability in some commercial environments.