The effects of captive bolt and electrical stunning, and restraining methods on broiler meat quality

The effects of captive bolt stunning using air pressure, compared to electr ical water bath stunning, on broiler carcass and meat quality were evaluate d. The birds were shackled or placed in a cone. Two trials were conducted u sing a total of 160 female broilers. The four stunning-restraining treatmen ts were whole-body electrical stunning (10 s, 110 mA, 300 Hz) in a water ba th or air pressure stunning (0.5 s, 2 atm) while broilers were shackled by their feet or placed in a cone. Air pressure stunning caused a higher (P < 0.01) degree of convulsions and a lower (P < 0.01) degree of blood loss tha n electrical stunning, and reduced the prevalence of broken clavicles (P < 0.05) and coracoids (P < 0.01). Blood loss of shackled broilers was slightl y higher (P < 0.05) than those restrained in a cone. Air pressure stunning resulted in significantly (P < 0.01) lower pH values and hemorrhaging in fi lets and thigh muscles than electrical stunning. The incidence of thigh mus cle hemorrhaging was significantly (P < 0.01) reduced when broilers were re strained in a cone compared to being shackled. The stunning and restraining treatments did not result in differences in cooking losses. The filers fro m shackled birds were judged more tender than the filets from cone-restrain ed birds. With respect to the effect of stunning method, the filets of air pressure stunned birds was judged more tender than the meat from electrical ly stunned birds. Captive bolt stunning using air pressure has benefits ove r electrical stunning; however, a suitable stunning and restraining device remains to be developed.