Estimation of poultry breastmeat yield: magnetic resonance imaging as a tool to improve the positioning of ultrasonic scanners

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to reconstruct three-dimensional breast muscle volume of 30 broilers and to locate the most suitable cross-s ections to estimate breast muscle yield by ultrasonic scanner. The high acc uracy of the determination of the breast muscle yield (R-2 = 0.92) from the volume calculated by the sum of 6 mm-spaced MRI transverse images justifie d the choice of MRI as a reference method. Treatment of the images showed t hat it was possible to obtain acceptable breast meat yield prediction by MR I from a combination of two or three muscle transverse cross-section area, measurements. It also showed that the need to find interfaces reflecting ul trasound is a considerable handicap for optimizing the ultrasonic technique . The oblique echotomographic plane crossing the coracoid bone lengthwise a nd the fore part of the breast bone appears to be the most appropriate to i mprove significantly the determination provided by the transverse image sit uated at the fore part of the breast bone. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. A ll rights reserved.