THE RELATIONSHIP OF BROILER BREAST MEAT COLOR AND PH TO SHELF-LIFE AND ODOR DEVELOPMENT

Experiments were conducted to compare the shelf-life of dark-colored a nd light-colored broiler breast meat. In each of three trials, 100 bre ast fillets were obtained from a commercial processing plant and subje ctively categorized as ''dark'' or ''light''. The 100 fillets were the n objectively evaluated for C.I.E. color values (lightness, redness, a nd yellowness). The fillets were separated into five storage groups, w ith each group containing 10 dark and 10 light fillets, and the fillet s were held at 3 C for 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 d. On each sampling day, fil lets were evaluated in duplicate for psychrotrophic plate count (PPC), capacitance detection time (CDT), pH, and subjective odor evaluation. Dark fillets had significantly (P < 0.05) lower lightness values (L) , higher redness values (a), lower yellowness values (b*), and higher pH values. Regression coefficients for odor scores resulted in darker fillets having significantly (P < 0.05) higher slopes than lighter-co lored fillets even though intercept values were similar. Significant c orrelations existed between pH and color as well as odor, CDT, and PPC . These data suggest that darker broiler breast meat fillets have a sh orter shelf-life than lighter breast fillets; the shorter shelf-life m ay be due to differences in pH.