Effects of alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation and salt addition on the oxidative stability (TBARS) and warmed-over flavour (WOF) of cooked turkey meat

1. Day-old turkey poults (n = 14) were randomly divided into 2 groups (n = 7) and fed diets containing 20 (E20) and 600 (E600) mg all-rac-alpha-tocoph eryl acetate/kg food for 21 weeks prior to slaughter. Following slaughter, breast and leg meat was removed and dr batches of patties were produced fro m each. Two Of the batches were formed from E20 meat (E20) and E20 plus 1% salt (E20S). Two similar batches were formed from E600 meat (E600) and E600 plus 1% salt (E600S). 2. Patties were fried, cooled and overwrapped with high oxygen-permeable fi lm. Overwrapped patties were displayed in a 4 degrees C cabinet under fluor escent light (616 lux). Lipid oxidation (TBARS numbers) was determined on d 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10, while taste panels to assess warmed-over flavour (WO F) were carried out on d 0, 2 and 4 of refrigerated (4 degrees C) display. 3. In the case of both leg and breast meat, E600 patties were the least sus ceptible of the 4 treatment batches to lipid oxidation. Salt had the effect of promoting lipid oxidation, with E20S and E600S patties having higher TB ARS numbers than the corresponding patty batches where salt was absent. 4. Taste panel results showed that leg and breast patties formed from the m eat of turkeys given alpha-tocopheryl acetate enriched diets developed sign ificantly (P < 0.05) less WOF than those formed from control turkey meat on d 2 and 4 of refrigerated (4 degrees C) display. Patties containing 1% sal t generally exhibited a greater degree of WOF than patties without salt. 5. A linear relationship was observed between TBARS numbers and WOF percent ages for all batches of leg and breast patties.