EFFECT OF 2 STUNNING VOLTAGES ON BLOOD-LOSS AND OBJECTIVE TEXTURE OF MEAT DEBONED AT VARIOUS POSTMORTEM TIMES

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of different stunning voltages on the objective texture of the Pectoralis major muscles deboned at various post-mortem times. Broilers were stunned at either 50 or 200 V alternating current (VAC) for 10 s in a brine stunner. The artery and vein on one side of the neck were severed, blood collected for 90 s, and blood loss calculated as percentage of live weight. Carcasses were then processed under simulated commercial conditions. In the first experiment, the right and left Pectoralis major muscles were excised at 1 and 2 h post-mortem respectively, weighed, vacuum-sealed in plastic bags, and held overnight at 2 C. In the second experiment, the Pectoralis major muscles were excised at 4 h post-mortem and held overnight at 2 C. The muscles were then heated at 85 C for 30 min, equilibrated to room temperature, and prepared for Warner-Bratzler shear analysis. The stunning treatments did not significantly affect blood loss, which averaged 2.86 and 2.64% for 50 and 200 VAC, respectively. Birds subjected to the 50 VAC treatment had a mean shear value of 7.3 kg, which was significantly lower (P < .05) than the mean shear value of 10 kg for birds subjected to the 200 VAC treatment for muscles excised 2 h post-mortem. The use of 200 VAC for stunning could be used without any detrimental effect on the cooked meat as long as the standard deboning time of 4 h was maintained.