EFFECTS OF POSTMORTEM TEMPERATURE AND TIME ON THE WATER-HOLDING CAPACITY OF HOT-BONED TURKEY BREAST AND THIGH MUSCLE

Tui key breast and thigh muscles were excised immediately after slaugh ter and held from 0.25 to 4 h postmortem at 0, 12 or 30 degrees C to d etermine postmortem time and temperature effect on muscle pH, drip los s, sarcomere length, homogenate supernatant weight, salt-soluble prote in and cooking yields. Higher temperature and longer storage time indu ced greater drip losses in breast. Longer storage time induced greater drip losses but the least drip loss occurred at 12 degrees C in thigh muscle. High temperature increased the supernatant weight in breast b ut decreased that in thigh. Storage time increased supernatant weight and supernatant salt soluble protein levels in both muscles. Homogenat e cooking yields of breast containing water, salt and phosphate (HWSP) were higher for 0 and 12 degrees C compared with 30 degrees C, and in creased with storage. The low postmortem temperature (0 degrees C) dec reased homogenate cooking yields in thigh. These findings indicate tha t lower postmortem temperatures (0 and 12 degrees C) and shorter stora ge time (24 h) produced the greatest water-holding capacity in turkey breast muscle, whereas high and low postmortem temperatures (30 and 0 degrees C) and longer storage (168 h) produced the least water-holding capacity in raw turkey thigh muscle. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Scie nce Ltd