Electrical stunning parameters: impact on the quality of turkey meat (Meleagris gallopavo).

Pre-slaughter conditions can interfere with the quality of meat. Proper stunning systems can minimize the occurrence of meat anomalies. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of electrical stunning parameters on the quality of turkey meat. Nine assays were conducted, with varying frequency, current, and voltage. The variables assessed in the assays were incidence of bruising, bleeding, blood splash and contusions, pH, color, water holding capacity, and shear force. A high incidence of bruising was observed in the breasts (25.0-57.1%) and carcasses (52.5-58.5%) of the turkeys. The pH of the turkey breasts ranged from 5.9 to 6.0 and the shear force ranged from 13.9 to 18.4 N. The frequencies had different effects on the assessed variables, leading to the formation of two groups: group 1-low frequencies (50-200 Hz) and group 2-high frequencies (633-1500 Hz). The incidence of anomalies in the turkey breast and carcasses was higher in group 1 than in group 2. The use of frequencies to stunning below 200 Hz tends to increase blood spots, fractures/contusions and bruising in turkey meat.

Water absorption and dripping of chicken breast and carcasses during pre-cooling in an industrial system.

This study aimed to evaluate the parameters that influence the water absorption and drip of chicken carcasses due to the processing and pre-cooling of the meat in an industrial chiller. A total of 1,179 chickens were sampled during industrial processing to evaluate the influence of variables, validate the parameters, and conduct histological analysis. The best parameters for guaranteeing absorption levels and drip tests within acceptable limits on chicken carcasses were total residence time of 60 min (in the pre-chiller, chiller 1, and chiller 2); air pressure of chillers at 0.5 bar; the abdominal opening of carcasses at a maximum of 2 cm. These parameters did not influence the protein content, moisture/protein ratio, pH, or lipid content. The validation of the parameters and the histological analysis performed after each cooling stage showed that the most significant structural changes occurred in the pre-chiller, where the temperature of carcasses and water was higher, which contributes to greater absorption.