Characterization of different strains of broiler chicken by carcass measurements, chemical and physical parameters and NIRS on breast muscle

The aims of the work were: to investigate the effect of chicken strain on c hemical composition and colour parameters of fresh breast muscle; to evalua te the results obtained using different illuminants (A, C and Fl; to verify the possibility of predicting some meat features by near infrared reflecta nce spectroscopy (NIRS) of freeze-dried breast muscle. The trial was carrie d out on 39 chicken broilers from three strains, differing in body size, sl aughtered at 30 days of age. Fresh breast samples were different only in as h content (P<0.01). Illuminant effect was highly significant for all colour variables, depending on the major wavelength characteristics of each illum inant. Significant differences among strains were detected in redness value s. The NIRS technique was very accurate to predict fat content of muscle (R (2)c=0.98, SEC=0.20). These findings may have practical importance to impro ve instrumental procedures for on-line evaluation of poultry meat quality. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.