Impact of Refrigerated Storage Time on Woody Broiler Breast Severity and Instrumental Quality

Chicken breast samples (N = 90; n = 30 normal [NOR]; n = 30 moderate [MOD] woody breast [WB]; n = 30 severe [SEV] WB) were collected from a commercial processing plant on 5 separate occasions and were evaluated for severity from d 0 through d 5. A 3 × 6 two-way factorial structure (meat quality treatment × storage time) with 5 replications within a randomized complete block design (replications as blocks) with subsamples was utilized to evaluate the effects of treatment (NOR, MOD, SEV) and storage time (d 0 through 5) on pH, color, cook loss, shear force, and proximate analysis (d 0 and 5). After 5 d of storage at 2°C to 4°C, 84% of SEV WB fillets were evaluated as MOD WB, which was greater (P < 0.05) than all other storage times. In comparison, 40% to 52% of the MOD WB fillets were rated as slight WB or NOR after 3 to 5 d of storage. Cook loss was less (P < 0.05) for NOR compared to MOD and SEV breast meat at all storage times. Shear force was greater (P < 0.05) for NOR breast meat than MOD and SEV WB meat on d 0. After 2, 3, 4, and 5 d of storage, the upper position (cranial part) of SEV WB had greater (P < 0.05) shear force than NOR fillets. Therefore, the lessening of severity that occurred in WB meat over refrigerated storage was apparent through palpation but did not result in improved texture in the cranial portion of the breast, based on shear force and water-holding capacity results. These results are important because they indicate that, even though muscle softening occurred over refrigerated storage time, meat quality did not improve.