EFFECT OF DIETARY VITAMIN-E ON THE OXIDATIVE STABILITY, FLAVOR, COLOR, AND VOLATILE PROFILES OF REFRIGERATED AND FROZEN TURKEY BREAST MEAT

In this study, the effect of varying dietary vitamin E levels on the o xidative stability, flavor, color, and volatile profiles of refrigerat ed and frozen turkey breast meat was examined. Nicholas turkey toms we re reared on diets containing vitamin E levels as dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate equivalent to the NRC recommendations (12 and 10 IU/kg from 0 to 8 and 9 to 18 wk, respectively) and 5x, 10x, and 25x the NRC diet. Two other diets were evaluated and included feeding the NRC diet until 15 and 16 wk followed by a diet containing 20x the NRC vitamin E leve l. All turkeys were processed in a commercial turkey processing plant and breast meat scored for color. Breast meat was excised from four ca rcasses per treatment and evaluated after refrigeration (1 and 7 d) or frozen storage (30, 90, 150 d) for oxidative stability and sensory qu ality by TEA analysis, descriptive flavor profiling, and headspace gas chromatography. The TEA values were inversely related to the dietary vitamin E levels. Refrigerated samples had TEA values 78 to 88% lower for the 10x and 25x vitamin E treatments, respectively, than for the N RC control treatment. No differences in TEA values (refrigerated sampl es) were detected for the 10x, 25x, and 20x (3 wk feeding duration) or across all treatments for samples frozen for 5 mo. The 10x and 25x NR C diets produced the most typical and acceptable turkey meat flavors w ith the fewest oxidized off-flavor notes for both fresh and frozen sam ples as opposed to the more oxidized flavor notes detected in the cont rol samples. Mean color scores increased, indicative of less pale meat , as the level and duration of feeding dietary vitamin E increased. Th ese findings showed that varying dietary vitamin E levels significantl y influenced the oxidative stability and functionality of turkey breas t meat.