Broiler stunning and meat quality

The effects of electrical and concussion stunning on meat and carcass quali ty of broilers were compared. Broiler chickens (n = 165) were subjected to treatments: 1) electrical stunning with no fibrillation, 2) electrical stun ning with fibrillation, 3) concussion stunning with restraint, or 4) concus sion stunning with no restraint. Electrical stunning (100 V, 80 mA, 50 Hz s inusoidal waveform alternating current) was applied for 3 s. Concussion was applied using a nonpenetrative captive bolt gun with or without restraint. We assessed broken bones, hemorrhages, meat quality defects, blood loss, p H at 10 min and 24 h, and texture from breasts filleted 3 h and 24 h postmo rtem. Electrically stunned birds showed a significantly higher incidence of broken bones (P < 0.0001), coracoid and furculum bone hemorrhages (P < 0.0 001), and nonbone hemorrhages (P < 0.0001) than birds stunned by concussion . However, the incidence of red wing tips (P < 0.005) and shoulder hemorrha ges was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in concussion-stunned birds than el ectrically stunned birds. Electrically stunned and nonfibrillated birds had the fastest blood loss rate. The pH value at 10 min was the lowest in conc ussion-stunned and unrestrained birds. Breast muscles from concussion-stunn ed birds that were filleted at 3 h postmortem were more tender than those f rom birds stunned electrically (P < 0.05). We concluded that concussion stu nning could be advantageous for early filleting.