Effects of muscle pH and chilling on development of PSE-like turkey breastmeat

1. Early post-mortem pH was used to identify PSE-like turkey meat, characte rised by a low water-holding capacity and pale colour. In a commercial turk ey processing facility, the pH value of turkey breast muscle was measured a t 0, 9, 10, 14, 154, 231, and 246 min past mortem. 2. At 14 min Post mortem, the carcases were separated into 3 ph classes: lo w (<5.70), medium (5.70 to 6.18), and high (>6.18). Low pH carcasses (<5.70 ) had higher drip loss(1.75%) than medium (0.81%) and high pH carcases (0.7 5%). Furthermore, high pH carcases (>6.18) had a lower L* value (darker) th an low and medium pH carcases. 3. The effects of using CO2 'snow' on turkey breast muscle quality were als o investigated. Light CO2 'snow treatment (57 g snow/kg breast) and heavy C O2 treatment (113 g snow/kg breast) resulted in higher drip losses than the control no CO2 snow) group.